Home | Events Archive | Belief-Related Origins of the Education Premium: Causal Evidence from Employer Ratings (joint work with Laura Ehrmantraut and Pia Pinger)
Seminar

Belief-Related Origins of the Education Premium: Causal Evidence from Employer Ratings (joint work with Laura Ehrmantraut and Pia Pinger)

  • Series
    Brown Bag Seminars General Economics
  • Speaker
  • Field
    Empirical Microeconomics
  • Location
    Erasmus University Rotterdam, Lounge/kitchen E Building floor E1
    Rotterdam
  • Date and time

    March 09, 2023
    12:00 - 13:00

Abstract:

This paper provides causal evidence on the origins of the education premium. We experimentally vary rates of Master degree completion on applicant CVs to shift beliefs about candidates' productive traits in a large sample of top-level human resource managers. Our results confirm that a master's degree raises employers' willingness to invite candidates for a job interview, to make an offer, and to pay higher wages. Moreover, we find that master graduates outdo bachelor degree holders in terms of perceived cognitive and non-cognitive traits as well as expertise. Master drop-outs therewhile are attributed worse non-cognitive traits such as perseverance and commitment. The difference in perceived traits explains more than 75 percent of the difference in candidate attractiveness.