Overeducation at the Start of the Career: Stepping Stone or Trap?

Stijn Baert, Bart Cockx and Dieter Verhaest

No 6562, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This study investigates whether young unemployed graduates who accept a job below their level of education accelerate or delay the transition into a job that matches their level of education. We adopt the Timing of Events approach to identify this dynamic treatment effect using monthly calendar data from a representative sample of Flemish (Belgian) youth who started searching for a job right after leaving formal education. We find that overeducation is a trap. This trap is especially important early in the unemployment spell. Our results are robust across various specifications and for two overeducation measures.

Keywords: overqualification; underemployment; school-to-work transitions; duration analysis; dynamic treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 C41 I21 J24 J64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2012-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Published - revised version published in: Labour Economics , 2013, 25, 123-140

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Related works:
Journal Article: Overeducation at the start of the career: Stepping stone or trap? (2013)
Working Paper: Overeducation at the Start of the Career - Stepping Stone or Trap? (2012)
Working Paper: Overeducation at the start of the career - stepping stone or trap? (2012)
Working Paper: Overeducation at the start of the career - stepping stone or trap? (2012)
Working Paper: Overeducation at the start of the career - stepping stone or trap? (2012)
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