McGuinness, Seamus, Pouliakas, Konstantinos, (2016), “Deconstructing Theories of Overeducation in Europe: A Wage Decomposition Approach “, IZA DP No. 9698, February
Using a representative sample of adult employees from 28 EU countries, the analysis shows that job characteristics and the low skill content of their jobs account for an equal share of the wage penalty of overeducated workers as supply-side factors. Lack of information about skill needs and career prospects of jobs is also an important reason why overeducated tertiary graduates end up in lower-paid jobs. The paper thus highlights that policies that emphasize career guidance and counseling and those that seek to raise job quality can be effective ingredients in mitigating overeducation in European labor markets.
Relevant Posts
- Fric, Karel, (2016), “Statutory minimum wages in the EU 2016”, Eurofound, 29 January
- Stirati, Antonella, (2016), “Real wages in the business cycle and the theory of income distribution: an unresolved conflict between theory and facts in mainstream macroeconomics”, Oxford University Press, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Issue 2, Volume 40, pp. 639-661, March.