A signal of (Train)ability? Grade repetition and hiring chances

Stijn Baert and Matteo Picchio

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2021, vol. 188, issue C, 867-878

Abstract: This article contributes to the nascent literature on the effect of grade retention in school on later labor market success. A field experiment is conducted to rule out the endogeneity of both outcomes. More concretely, various treatments of grade retention are randomly assigned to fictitious résumés sent in application to real vacancies. Overall, grade retention does not significantly affect positive call-back by employers. However, when narrowing in on vacancies for occupations where on-the-job training is important, job candidates with a record of grade retention are 16% less likely to receive a positive reaction. This finding is consistent with Queuing theory.

Keywords: Grade retention; Hiring youth; Training; Signaling; Queuing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I21 J23 J70 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Related works:
Working Paper: A SIGNAL OF TRAIN(ABILITY)? GRADE REPETITION AND HIRING CHANCES (2020)
Working Paper: A Signal of (Train)Ability? Grade Repetition and Hiring Chances (2020)
Working Paper: A Signal of (Train)ability? Grade Repetition and Hiring Chances (2020)
Working Paper: A Signal of (Train)ability? Grade Repetition and Hiring Chances (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:188:y:2021:i:c:p:867-878

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2021.06.010

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