The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Student Absence: Evidence from Sweden

Sarah Cattan (), Daniel Kamhofer, Martin Karlsson and Therese Nilsson ()

No 10995, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Instructional time is seen as an important determinant of school performance, but little is known about the effects of student absence. Combining historical records and administrative data for Swedish individuals born in the 1930s, we examine the impacts of absence in elementary school on short-term academic performance and long-term socio-economic outcomes. Our siblings and individual fixed effects estimates suggest absence has a moderate adverse effect on academic performance. The detrimental effect fades out over time. While absence negatively correlates with final education, income and longevity, we only find robust evidence that it lowers the probability of employment at age 25–30.

Keywords: long-term effects; educational performance; absence in school; register data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 I14 I21 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 73 pages
Date: 2017-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-eur, nep-his, nep-lma and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Published - updated version published as 'The Long-term Effects of Student Absence: Evidence from Sweden' in: Economic Journal, 2023, 133 (650), 888-903

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Related works:
Working Paper: The short- and long-term effects of student absence: evidence from Sweden (2021)
Working Paper: The Short- and Long-term Effects of Student Absence: Evidence from Sweden (2017)
Working Paper: The short- and long-term effects of student absence: evidence from Sweden (2017)
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