Life Skills Development of Teenagers through Spare-Time Jobs

Rune V. Lesner (), Anna Damm (), Preben Bertelsen and Mads Uffe Pedersen
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Rune V. Lesner: Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Denmark, Postal: 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark
Preben Bertelsen: Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences,, Aarhus University, Denmark
Mads Uffe Pedersen: Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Denmark

Economics Working Papers from Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University

Abstract: We set up an on-the-job learning model to explain how spare-time on-the-job training affects life skills formation of adolescents. We obtain causal estimates by exploiting variation between employed twins and estimation of a value-added model using full population Danish administrative data. We find that spare-time work experience has no effect on school absenteeism, reduces crime, increases school grades and the speed of enrollment into upper secondary education. We interpret our findings as evidence that the positive effect from on-the-job learning in spare-time jobs on life skill formation more than outweigh the potential negative consumption and time-use externalities of spare-time work.

Keywords: Student employment; Spare-time jobs; Teenagers; Youth; Character skills; Life skills; Human capital; Crime; Juvenile Delinquency; Risky behavior; Educational attainment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 J22 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 59
Date: 2018-11-19
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-lma, nep-ltv and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aah:aarhec:2018-09

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