Education-occupation Mismatch Research Articles

Emerging health disparities among college graduates: Understanding the health consequences of education-occupation mismatch

This study examines the health consequences and underlying pathways of education-occupation mismatch. Using a longitudinal sample of college graduates from the Panel Studies of Income Dynamics (1984–2019) and employing longitudinal hybrid models, we found that contemporary vertical mismatch (between education level and educational requirements of occupation) was associated with poorer psychological well-being and bio-behaviors (obesity and smoking), but not physical health. In contrast, horizontal mismatch (between field of study and field required for occupation) did not show clear health consequences. Sequence analysis was employed to uncover the mismatch trajectories and revealed that persistent vertical mismatch over one's career had a greater impact on psychological distress and smoking than episodic mismatch experiences. Furthermore, the linkage between vertical mismatch and health outcomes was likely shaped by psychosocial processes rather than reduced material well-being. These findings imply that education-occupation vertical (mis)match produces health disparities between occupationally matched and mismatched college graduates.

Does educational mismatch affect human capital investment in children? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of parental education-occupation (educational) mismatch on human capital investment (HCI) in children. Guided by interpretations from a family education investment model that allows parents to be over/undereducated, we conduct an empirical analysis using the panel data of parent‒child pairs from the 2010–2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Our results show that, on average, children’s education expenditure decreases (increases) when parents are overeducated (undereducated), which is moderated by parental educational attainment. We also observe differing sensitivities between fathers and mothers, with a tendency to prioritize sons’ education over daughters’ education when experiencing educational mismatch. The impact of educational mismatch is more pronounced in urban households, whereas differences between nuclear and other household types are minimal. These findings highlight the importance of educational mismatch in intergenerational human capital transmission and suggest improving such mismatches to optimize HCIs and promote intergenerational mobility.

Having your career path decided too early: the effects of high school track on education-occupation mismatch

PurposeThis paper aims to extend the scope of previous studies on education-occupation mismatch to explicitly focus on the role high school track choices have on the risk of being mismatched in the labor market.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the most exhaustive available database regarding the early-career paths of university graduates in Romania. Using a novel matching technique, entropy balancing (EB), our study relies on multinomial logit models and logit regressions to estimate the effect of the completed high school track on the likelihood of being mismatched in the labor market. The empirical analysis focuses on two types of education-occupation mismatches: horizontal and vertical mismatches.FindingsWe show that studying a different field in college compared to the completed high school track increases the risk of being skill mismatched in the first job after graduation. Five years after college graduation, the influence of the high school track fades, while being skill mismatched in the first employment plays a more important role. In contrast, we find no evidence that pursuing a college major unrelated to the completed high school track increases the probability of being overeducated. However, being overeducated in the first job increases the risk of being overeducated five years later.Originality/valueThe study brings new reliable evidence on the extent to which high school track choices may contribute to the risk of being mismatched in the labor market.

Education–occupation mismatch and its wage penalties: Evidence from Indonesia

Education–occupation mismatch and its wage penalties: Evidence from Indonesia

Occupational Licensing and Skills Mismatches Among Immigrants and Natives in the United States

Abstract This paper studies the effect of occupational licensing on the education-occupation mismatches and the logarithm of hourly wages of natives and immigrants in the United States using longitudinal data from the 2014 sample of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). On average, licensing reduces the skills mismatch and raises hourly wages among natives but not among immigrants. Over time there is only minimal convergence between the outcomes experienced by licensed natives and immigrants, highlighting that licensing does not produce uniform benefits, by immigrant status. Rather, it appears to institutionalize substantive differences in the quality of the skill matches and hourly pay of native and immigrant licensed workers and professionals.

Education-occupation mismatch and social networks for Hispanics in the U.S.: role of citizenship

ABSTRACT Using a sample of college-educated Hispanics from the 2016–2017 American Community Survey we examine the role of potential social networks on the education-occupation mismatch for Hispanics in the U.S. To do this, we use a novel data-driven index to measure the degree of education-occupation mismatch, while potential networks are measured using the share of Hispanics at the MSA level. We find that networks improve job-match quality for college-educated Hispanics, with effects that are significantly larger for Hispanic citizens when networks consist of the proportion of Hispanics with college degrees. Our findings are robust to other indices of education mismatch.

Informality, education-occupation mismatch, and wages: evidence from India

ABSTRACT This article examines the intertwining relationship between informality and education-occupation mismatch (EOM) and the consequent impact on the workers’ wages. In particular, we discuss two issues — first, the relative importance of informality and EOM in determining wages; and second, the relevance of EOM for formal and informal workers. The analysis reveals that although both informality and EOM are significant determinants of wages, the former is more crucial for a developing country like India. Further, we find that EOM is one of the crucial determinants of wages for formal workers, but it is not critical for informal workers. The study highlights the need for considering the bifurcation of formal-informal workers to understand the complete dynamics of EOM especially for developing countries where informality is predominant.

Language Used at Home and Educational–Occupational Mismatch of Migrants by Gender

The ability of migrants to use the host country's language is crucial to their integration. Nonetheless, the association between migrant literacy and their labor market outcome is less explored compared to the association between their educational attainment and their economic integration. Moreover, this ability has another vital role in immigrant assimilation, serving as an indicator of cultural capital. The current study, therefore, examines the extent to which language as cultural capital shapes gender differences in migrant economic integration, as measured by educational–occupational mismatch (EOM). Using the PIAAC 2018 dataset, we employ a series of nested fixed-effect linear models in which our dependent variable is years of over-education and study the effect of language use at home, controlling for linguistic competence in the host country language. We find that once controlling for educational level, migrant men who use a different language than the host country's language at home are not more prone to EOM. However, migrant women, who are at higher risk of EOM, suffer even more when using a foreign language at home. We suggest that using a foreign language at home for women might indicate low host-country-specific cultural capital, which could directly affect migrant women’s integration into the labor market.

Education-Occupation Mismatch and Nativity Inequality Among Highly Educated U.S. Workers.

Extensive research has documented persistent nativity inequality in the U.S. labor market, even among high-skilled immigrants. Yet, this phenomenon has not been sufficiently explained. This study investigates whether different types of education-occupation mismatch are a source of this inequality. Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we examine nativity differences in the incidence and wage penalty of education-occupation mismatch among highly educated workers. The results demonstrate that high-skilled immigrants, especially those with foreign degrees, are more vulnerable to vertical and horizontal mismatch and suffer higher wage penalties from mismatched employment than similarly educated native-born workers. Auxiliary analyses show that the disadvantage foreign-educated skilled immigrants experience is largely concentrated among immigrants from countries with lower quality tertiary education, immigrants with lower English proficiency, and those with degrees in non-STEM fields and fields with demanding licensing requirements. These results point to skilled immigrants' limited human capital transferability, which stems from the quality and applicability of educational credentials, language proficiency, and institutional barriers.

Heterogeneity among migrants, education–occupation mismatch and returns to education

ABSTRACT Using nationally representative data for India, this paper examines the incidence of education–occupation mismatch (EOM) and returns to education and EOM for internal migrants while considering the heterogeneity among them. In particular, it considers heterogeneity arising because of the reason to migrate, demographic characteristics, spatial factors, migration experience and type of migration. The analysis reveals that there is variation in the incidence and returns to EOM depending on the reason to migrate, demographic characteristics and spatial factors. The study highlights the need of focusing on EOM to increase the productivity benefits of migration. It also provides the framework for minimizing migrants’ likelihood of being mismatched while maximizing their returns to education.

Do informal Networks Increase Migrants’ Over-Education? Comparing Over-Education for Natives, Migrants and Second Generations in Italy and Assessing the Role of Networks in Generating It

Whilst migration has become a structural feature of most European countries, the integration of foreigners in the labour market continues to raise concerns. Evidence across countries shows that migrants are more often over-educated than natives. Over the last few years, scholarship has intended to capture the effect of informal networks on migrants’ over-education. Interestingly, no study has looked into the Italian case, a country for which the effect of networks on education-occupation mismatch is well documented. This article has two objectives: it assesses the extent to which over-education affects migrants and it evaluates the role informal networks play in producing it. We find that migrants have a higher probability of being over-educated than natives and second-generation migrants. Likewise, we find little evidence of a differentiated effect of networks as they tend to increase migrants’ over-education whilst decreasing it for natives and second-generation migrants. Empirical evidence is drawn from the application of causal inference modelling to PLUS 2018—Participation, Labour, Unemployment Survey.

The Effect of Import Exposure on Education-Occupation Mismatch: A Supply-Demand Analysis

The Effect of Import Exposure on Education-Occupation Mismatch: A Supply-Demand Analysis

Investigating burnout levels and its determinants among the veterinary medicine students: The case of Istanbul University

This study was conducted to examine the burnout levels and its determinants among the veterinary medicine students. Answers (n = 447) to a survey formed the data of this study. Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Scale, which was adapted to the Turkish language, was used to determine the burnout levels of the students. As a result, burnout levels were obtained as 13.31, 7.82, and 7.69 for Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP), and Personal Accomplishment (PA) components, respectively. Year of study and having a hobby had an effect on three of the burnout components. In order to determine the relationship between students’ burnout levels and students’ tendency to drop out, to work in a different profession after graduation and academic failure, a logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results revealed that year of study, WGPA, EE, DP, PA, repeating academic semester(s), number of repeated academic semester(s), and perceived difficulty of veterinary education were significantly associated with the students’ intention to drop out of the faculty. Gender, living situation, monthly income, EE, DP and PA affected education-occupation mismatch. Furthermore, gender, year of study, WGPA, living situation, monthly income, EE, DP, PA, and perceived difficulty level of the veterinary education had an influence on repeating academic semester(s). The results of this study reveal that burnout syndrome would lead to students’ dropping out of the faculty, education-occupation mismatch and academic failure. Future studies must be conducted throughout the country to assess burnout syndrome in veterinary students.

Education–occupation mismatch and long-term sickness absence: a longitudinal study of over- and under-education using Norwegian population data, 2003–2013

ABSTRACT In this study, we explore whether education–occupation mismatch in the form of over-education and under-education affects the risk of long-term sickness absence. We use register data covering the Norwegian population in the period 2003–2013, containing 13,628,079 person-year observations (2,059,989 persons). To account for selection, we controlled for unobserved occupational and individual heterogeneity. This has been lacking in previous studies of mismatch and health outcomes. Our results show that over-education increases, and under-education reduces, the probability of long-term sickness absence. Controlling for selection reduces the associations substantially. The associations also diminish with experience. These results hold across two different measures of mismatch. Furthermore, both time spent in a mismatched status and specifications of mismatch alter the probability of LTSA. We conclude that education–occupation mismatch is associated with long-term sickness absence but underscore the need for adequate controls for selection.

Education–Occupation Mismatch and Its Wage Penalties in Informal Employment in Thailand

This study examines the incidence of vertical mismatch among formal and informal workers in Thailand. Using the 2011, 2013, and 2015 Thailand Household Socio-economic Surveys, the study analyzes the relationship between vertical mismatch and wage penalties and premiums across four types of workers: formal government, formal private firm, informal private firm, and informal own-account workers. The incidence of overeducation is modest among the oldest cohort (8.7%) but prevalent among the youngest cohort (29.3%). Government employees face the highest overeducation wage penalties (28.2%) compared to matched workers, while in private firms, informal workers have consistently higher overeducation wage penalties than formal workers. Educated young workers are increasingly absorbed into low-skill informal work in private firms and face large overeducation wage penalties. The inability of many young workers to capitalize on their educational investments in Thailand's formal labor market is a concern for future education and employment policy development in Thailand.

Vertical Education-Occupation Mismatch and Wage Inequality by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity among Highly Educated US Workers.

Despite remarkable educational gains of minorities, ethnoracial wage inequality persists and has even expanded among highly educated workers. Conventional explanations for this inequality are primarily derived from comparing workers across different educational levels and are less salient for understanding inequalities within the highly educated workforce. This study examines a previously overlooked source of ethnoracial inequality among highly educated workers: vertical mismatch between workers' educational level and the education requirements for their occupation. Using a longitudinal sample of college graduates from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that vertical mismatch accounts for a large part of racial/ethnic and nativity wage inequality. Specifically, highly educated minorities (especially blacks and Hispanics) and immigrants (especially those holding a foreign degree) are disproportionately channeled into mismatched jobs and subsequently consigned to such positions. Also, highly educated Hispanics and Asians, as well as foreign-educated immigrants, face greater wage penalties of vertical mismatch. The findings offer new insights into a key source of ethnoracial and nativity stratification.

Occupational Licensing and the Skills Mismatch of Highly Educated Migrants

AbstractThis article studies occupational licensing as a possible cause of education–occupation mismatches of highly educated migrants. Based on data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA), the empirical analysis applies the Propensity Score Matching estimator to identify a suitable control group. Licensing raises hourly wages and reduces over‐education for those working in licensed jobs, and correspondingly it produces worse labour market outcomes for those who do not gain licensure. These results are robust to omitted variable bias and alternative matching approaches. They also persist over time, suggesting that the sole market forces of supply and demand are not enough to reduce the mismatch faced by highly educated migrants after settlement.

Education–Occupation Mismatch and Dispersion in Returns to Education: Evidence from India

Using a national level sample survey on labour market in India, we analyze the role of education–occupation (mis-)match (EOM) in explaining within-group dispersion in returns to education. Applying a double sample selection bias correction and Mincerian quantile wage regression estimation, the analysis reveals interesting findings. First, on average, overeducated workers suffer a wage penalty of 7% and undereducated workers do not receive a wage reward as compared to their adequately educated counterparts. Second, the inclusion of match status reduces within-education group dispersion in returns. The finding highlights that ignoring EOM and thus, adopting a restrictive view of similarity across workers may lead to overestimation of the within-education group dispersion in returns. This study argues for focusing on EOM to increase both pecuniary and social benefits of education in terms of productivity gains and wages as well as to reduce wage dispersion.

Do Ethnic Networks Ameliorate Education–Occupation Mismatch?

AbstractThe question to what extent ethnic networks affect occupational mismatch has so far been overlooked. This paper exploits supraregional variation in ethnic composition in Germany and shows that a one standard deviation increase in the share of the own ethnic group per zip code significantly reduces the years of overqualification for females, by 0.27 years. For males, neither the foreign share nor the ethnic share per residency area is found to significantly impact the extent of overqualification. Selection into residency groups and occupations and different endowments in language capital explain the more efficient benefit of ethnic networks accrued to females.

Education-Occupation Mismatch and Social Networks for Hispanics in the US: Role of Citizenship

In this paper we examine the education and occupation mismatch for Hispanics in the US using a novel objective continuous mismatch index and explore the role of immigrants' social networks on this mismatch. We explore whether having a larger social network helps Hispanics in finding jobs that better match with their skill and education levels or whether living in areas with larger concentration of Hispanics leads to more competition for the same jobs in the labor market. Given that the legal status of immigrants influence how the social networks are leveraged and their impact on labor market outcomes, we focus on the citizenship status for Hispanics. The quality of match between Hispanic's college degree major and occupation is measured using one of the continuous indices proposed in Rios-Avila and Saavedra-Caballero (2019) and calculated using pooled data for all college graduates in the US from 2010 to 2017. The Hispanic networks measures are constructed as the share of Hispanic population who are 25 years or older with respect to the total population of the same age and the second measure only includes Hispanics with at least a bachelor's degree using the weighted pooled data from 2010 to 2015. We find that networks have a positive impact on the job-match quality, but mostly for Hispanic citizens and this effect is stronger when the networks constitutes of at least a college degree. This shows that Hispanic citizens living in higher concentration of Hispanic college graduates are better able to leverage their networks or their networks are better able to match them with jobs closer to their field of specialization and skill set.