Zero returns to compulsory schooling in Germany: evidence and interpretation

Jorn-Steffen Pischke and Till von Wachter

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: We estimate the impact of compulsory schooling on earnings using changes in compulsory schooling laws in West Germany after World War II. Most estimates in the literature indicate returns in the range of 10% to 15%. While our research design is very similar to studies for various other countries, we find a zero return. We find no evidence that this is due to labor market institutions or the apprenticeship training system in Germany. The result might be due to the fact that the basic skills most relevant for the labor market are learned earlier in Germany than in other countries.

JEL-codes: C1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 7 pages
Date: 2008-08
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (234)

Published in Review of Economics and Statistics, August, 2008, 90(3), pp. 592 - 598. ISSN: 0034-6535

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/19509/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Germany: Evidence and Interpretation (2008)
Working Paper: Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Germany: Evidence and Interpretation (2006)
Working Paper: Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Germany: Evidence and Interpretation (2005)
Working Paper: Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling in Germany: Evidence and Interpretation (2005)
Working Paper: Zero Returns to Compulsory Schooling In Germany: Evidence and Interpretation (2005)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:19509

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