Showing papers in "Journal of Human Resources in 2017"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employ a difference-in-differences approach that compares employment rates across different ages for people with general and vocational education, finding strong and robust support for such a tradeoff, especially in countries emphasizing apprenticeship programs.
Abstract: Policy proposals promoting vocational education focus on the school-to-work transition. But with technological change, gains in youth employment may be offset by less adaptability and diminished employment later in life. To test for this tradeoff, we employ a difference-in-differences approach that compares employment rates across different ages for people with general and vocational education. Using microdata for 11 countries from IALS, we find strong and robust support for such a tradeoff, especially in countries emphasizing apprenticeship programs. German Microcensus data and Austrian administrative data confirm the results for within-occupational-group analysis and for exogenous variation from plant closures, respectively.
356 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide evidence for log-linear and rank correlations, and rank-based transition probabilities using long Swedish income series, and show that the life cycle bias is strongest in the intergenerational elasticity, moderate in loglinear correlations and small in rankbased measures.
Abstract: :Estimates of the most common mobility measure, the intergenerational elasticity, can be severely biased if snapshots are used to approximate lifetime income. However, little is known about biases in other popular dependence measures. Using long Swedish income series, we provide such evidence for log-linear and rank correlations, and rank-based transition probabilities. Attenuation bias is considerably weaker in rank-based measures. Life-cycle bias is strongest in the elasticity, moderate in log-linear correlations, and small in rank-based measures. However, there are important exceptions: persistence in the tails of the distribution is considerably higher and long-distance downward mobility lower than estimates from short-run income suggest.
136 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors exploit the random assignment of class rosters in the MET Project to estimate teacher effects on students' performance on complex open-ended tasks in math and reading, as well as their growth mindset, grit, and effort in class.
Abstract: I exploit the random assignment of class rosters in the MET Project to estimate teacher effects on students' performance on complex open-ended tasks in math and reading, as well as their growth mindset, grit, and effort in class. I find large teacher effects across this expanded set of outcomes, but weak relationships between these effects and performance measures used in current teacher evaluation systems including value-added to state standardized tests. These findings suggest teacher effectiveness is multidimensional, and high-stakes evaluation decisions are only weakly informed by the degree to which teachers are developing students' complex cognitive skills and social-emotional competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
87 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors estimate the effect of immigration on native wages at the national level taking into account the endogenous allocation of immigrants across skill cells, and derive asymptotic results for this estimator, and suggest several applications beyond the current one.
Abstract: This paper estimates the effect of immigration on native wages at the national level taking into account the endogenous allocation of immigrants across skill cells. Time-varying exogenous variation across skill cells for a given country is provided by interactions of push factors, distance, and skill cell dummies: distance mitigates the effect of push factors more severely for less educated and middle experienced. Because the analysis focuses on the United States and Canada, I propose a two-stage approach (Sub-Sample 2SLS) that estimates the first stage regression with an augmented sample of destination countries, and the second stage equation with the restricted sub-sample of interest. I derive asymptotic results for this estimator, and suggest several applications beyond the current one. The empirical analysis indicates a substantial bias in estimated OLS wage elasticities to immigration. Sub-Sample 2SLS estimates average - 1:2 and are very stable to the use of alternative instruments.
79 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of birth weight on long-run outcomes using data on Swedish twins born between 1926 and 1958 linked to administrative records spanning entire life-time labor market histories was studied.
Abstract: We study the effect of birth weight on long-run outcomes using data on Swedish twins born between 1926 and 1958 linked to administrative records spanning entire life-time labor market histories. We ...
72 citations
TL;DR: It is found that teacher behavior drives the increase in female students’ achievement on standardized tests when assigned to female teachers.
Abstract: :Gender disparities in academic performance may be driven in part by the interaction of teacher and student gender, but systematic sorting of students into classrooms makes it difficult to identify causal effects. We use the random assignment of students to Korean middle school classrooms and show that the female students perform substantially better on standardized tests when assigned to female teachers; there is little effect on male students. We find evidence that teacher behavior drives the increase in female students' achievement.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the intergenerational transmission of cognitive and noncognitive abilities using population data and correct for measurement error in abilities using two sets of instruments was studied and the results showed that previous estimates are biased downward and that once measurement error is corrected for, the correlation in non-cognitive ability is close to that of cognitive ability.
Abstract: We study the intergenerational transmission of cognitive and noncognitive abilities using population data and correct for measurement error in abilities using two sets of instruments. The results show that previous estimates are biased downward and that once measurement error is corrected for, the correlation in noncognitive ability is close to that of cognitive ability. By considering both parents, intergenerational ability correlations account for a substantial portion of the sibling correlation. Using adoptees, we find that the social impact of maternal abilities is more important than paternal abilities. Children's educational attainment and labor market outcomes are strongly related to parents' cognitive and noncognitive abilities.
70 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the reliability and validity of some of the most commonly used skills measures in a rural developing context are evaluated. But in most cases, these measures have only been validated in high-income countries.
Abstract: Measures of cognitive, noncognitive, and technical skills are increasingly used in development economics to analyze the determinants of skill formation, the role of skills in economic decisions, or simply because they are potential confounders. Yet in most cases, these measures have only been validated in high-income countries. This paper tests the reliability and validity of some of the most commonly used skills measures in a rural developing context. A survey with a series of skills measurements was administered to more than 900 farmers in western Kenya, and the same questions were asked again after three weeks to test the reliability of the measures. To test predictive power, the study also collected information on agricultural practices and production during the four following seasons. The results show the cognitive skills measures are reliable and internally consistent, while technical skills are difficult to capture and very noisy. The evidence further suggests that measurement error in noncognitive skills is non-classical, as correlations between questions are driven in part by the answering patterns of the respondents and the phrasing of the questions. Addressing both random and systematic measurement error using common psychometric practices and repeated measures leads to improvements and clearer predictions, but does not address all concerns. The paper provides a cautionary tale for naive interpretations of skill measures. It also points to the importance of addressing measurement challenges to establish the relationship of different skills with economic outcomes. Based on these findings, the paper derives guidelines for skill measurement and interpretation in similar contexts.
68 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the effect of intra-household bargaining power on the ATM treatment effect and find that household bargaining power is a key mediator of the effect.
Abstract: Individuals across the world use high-transaction-cost savings devices even when lower-cost technologies are available. High costs may help savers protect resources from the demands of others. I investigate this hypothesis by randomly assigning ATM cards to 1,100 newly opened bank accounts in rural Kenya. These cards reduced withdrawal fees by 50 percent. While the cards increased overall account use, the positive treatment effect is entirely driven by joint and male-owned accounts. I find evidence that these differences are driven by intrahousehold issues: Household bargaining power is a key mediator of the ATM treatment effect.
64 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the impact of immigration on the high school completion of natives in the United States using a state panel from 1940-2010, and found evidence for both channels and a positive net effect.
Abstract: Using a state panel from 1940–2010, I examine the impact of immigration on the high school completion of natives in the United States. Immigrant children could influence native children's educational experience as well as their expected future labor market. I find evidence for both channels and a positive net effect. An increase of one percentage point in the share of immigrants in the population aged 11–64 increases the probability that natives aged 11–17 eventually complete 12 years of schooling by 0.3 percentage point. I account for the endogeneity of immigrant flows by using instruments based on 1940 settlement patterns.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the impact of stand-your-ground laws on firearm homicides and injuries and found that these laws result in an increase in homicides and hospitalizations related to firearm-inflicted injuries.
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of Stand Your Ground laws on firearm homicides and injuries. Using state-level monthly data and a difference-in-difference identification strategy, we find that these laws result in an increase in homicides. According to our estimates, at least 30 individuals are killed each month as a result of Stand Your Ground laws. Furthermore, we document evidence to suggest that these laws also are associated with an increase in hospitalizations related to firearm-inflicted injuries. Taken together, the findings in this paper raise serious doubts against the argument that Stand Your Ground laws make the public safer.
TL;DR: This article found that a student's ordinal ability rank in a high-school cohort is an important determinant of engaging in risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, having unprotected sex, and engaging in physical fights.
Abstract: :We show that a student’s ordinal ability rank in a high-school cohort is an important determinant of engaging in risky behaviors. Using longitudinal data from representative U.S. high schools, we find a strong negative effect of rank on the likelihood of smoking, drinking, having unprotected sex, and engaging in physical fights. We further provide evidence that these results can be explained by sorting into peer groups and differences in career expectations. Students with a higher rank are less likely to be friends with other students who smoke and drink, while they have higher expectations towards their future educational attainment.
TL;DR: In this article, distance and direction measures are constructed and used to contrast occupational mobility following involuntary job displacement and total occupational mobility, suggesting limited or no specific human capital loss from voluntary occupational mobility.
Abstract: :Distance and direction measures are constructed and used to contrast occupational mobility following involuntary job displacement and total occupational mobility. Displacement involves specific capital loss. Some voluntary occupational mobility, for example, promotions, reflects augmented skills rather than specific human capital loss. Wage losses following displacement are strongly related to distance and direction. This is reflected in a downward shift in the skill portfolio. By contrast, the skill portfolio change in total occupational mobility shows a neutral or modest upward pattern, suggesting limited or no specific human capital loss from voluntary occupational mobility. The mean distance in occupational mobility following displacement declined significantly in the 1980s and 1990s suggesting the labor market was more efficiently reemploying workers following displacement, lowering displacement costs in that period.
TL;DR: Field evidence provides field evidence on how price framing affects consumers’ decision to switch health plans in Germany and shows that the reform strongly increased enrollees’ willingness to switch plans, with demand elasticities increasing fourfold.
Abstract: This paper provides field evidence on how price framing affects consumers’ decision to switch health plans. In 2009 German federal regulation required insurers to express premium differences between standardized health plans in absolute euro values relative to a federal reference price, rather than in percentage point payroll tax differences. Representative individual-level panel data and aggregated health plan level panel data on the universe of health plans show that the reform strongly increased enrollees’ willingness to switch plans, with demand elasticities increasing fourfold. The salience of premium differences and the default premium are obviously key driving forces in the decision to switch insurers.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors randomly assign more than 4,000 students from a large Canadian university into control, online exercise, text messaging, and one-on-one coaching groups and find large effects on academic outcomes from the coaching program but no effects from either technology-based intervention.
Abstract: :One-on-one coaching programs tend to have large effects on student outcomes, but they are costly to scale. In contrast, interventions that rely on technology to maintain contact with students can be scaled at low cost but may be less effective than one-on-one assistance. We randomly assign more than 4,000 students from a large Canadian university into control, online exercise, text messaging, and one-on-one coaching groups and find large effects on academic outcomes from the coaching program but no effects from either technology-based intervention. A comparison of key design features suggests that future technology-based interventions should aim to provide proactive, personalized, and regular support.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used detailed crime, agriculture, and weather data from India during the years 1971-2000 to conduct a systematic analysis of the relationship between weather shocks and multiple categories of crime.
Abstract: We use detailed crime, agriculture, and weather data from India during the years 1971–2000 to conduct a systematic analysis of the relationship between weather shocks and multiple categories of crime. We find that drought and heat exert a strong impact on virtually all types of crimes, that the impact on property crimes is larger than for violent crimes, and that this relationship has been relatively stable over three decades of economic development. We then use seasonal and geographical disaggregations of weather and agricultural cultivation to examine the prevailing hypothesis that agricultural income shocks drive the weather–crime relationship in developing countries. The patterns we find are consistent with this hypothesis in the case of rainfall shocks, but suggest additional mechanisms may play an important role in driving the heat–crime relationship, consistent with evidence from industrialized countries.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored whether improvements in water technologies, which decrease household distance to drinking water source and the time intensity of home production, enable changes in household time allocation and, thereby, productivity gains in Kyrgyzstan.
Abstract: :Billions of hours are spent each year on water collection in developing countries. This paper explores whether improvements in water technologies, which decrease household distance to drinking water source and the time intensity of home production, enable changes in household time allocation and, thereby, productivity gains in Kyrgyzstan. Adults reallocate time to leisure and labor on the household farm. Average yearly household cereals production increased significantly. Results imply a rate of return to labor equaling $0.11/hour, approximately half the hourly farm wage. Absent evidence of improved adult health, results suggest that productivity gains were realized primarily through increased farm labor.
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of same-gender or same-race mentors on occupation choice in the United States Army was investigated using a random assignment of role models to cadets at West Point, finding that black cadets paired with black officers were 6.1 percent more likely to pick their role model's branch than if the black cadet had worked with a white officer.
Abstract: We use random assignment of role models to cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point to investigate the effect of same-genderor same-race mentors on occupation choice in the United States Army. Women and racial minorities have traditionally been underrepresented in certain occupations in the Army, and these disparities seem to persist over time. We find that when a female cadet is assigned a female mentor, the cadet is 4.60 and 18.1 percentage points more likely to pick her officer's branch as her first or among her top three occupational preferences, respectively, than if she had interacted with a male mentor. These results are robust to controlling for a limited choice set for females and a host of alternative specifications. We find that black cadets paired with black officers are 6.1 percentage points more likely to pick their role model's branch than if the black cadet had worked with a white officer. These results show that having a same-gender or same-race mentor may influence the occupation choice of women or racial minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
TL;DR: In this article, the subjective well-being of migrants is examined in relation to fluctuations in macroeconomic conditions in their country of origin, and it is shown that migrants respond negatively to an increase in the GDP (unemployment rate) of their home country.
Abstract: This paper examines whether the subjective well-being of migrants is responsive to fluctuations in macroeconomic conditions in their country of origin. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel for the years 1984 to 2009 and macroeconomic variables for 24 countries of origin, we exploit country-year variation for identification of the effect and panel data to control for migrants' observed and unobserved characteristics. We find strong (mild) evidence that migrants' well-being responds negatively (positively) to an increase in the GDP (unemployment rate) of their home country. That is, we originally demonstrate that migrants regard home countries as natural comparators and, thereby, suggest an original assessment of the migration's relative deprivation motive. We also show that migrants are positively affected by the performances of the German regions in which they live (a 'signal effect'). We demonstrate that both effects decline with years-since-migration and with the degree of assimilation in Germany, which is consistent with a switch of migrants' reference point from home countries to migration destinations. Results are robust to the inclusion of country-time trends, to control for remittances sent to relatives in home countries and to a correction for selection into return migration. We derive important implications for labor market and migration policies.
TL;DR: The authors investigate the Dell Scholars Program, which provides a combination of financial support and individualized advising to selected students who attend institutions throughout the United States, and find consistent evidence that being selected as a Dell Scholar leads to substantially higher rates of bachelor's degree completion within six years, as well improvements on multiple other measures of college success.
Abstract: Socioeconomic inequalities in college completion have widened over time. A critical question is how to support low-income and first-generation students to achieve college success. We investigate one effort, the Dell Scholars Program, which provides a combination of financial support and individualized advising to selected students who attend institutions throughout the United States. Using two quasi-experimental analytic strategies, regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences with a matched comparison sample, we find consistent evidence that being selected as a Dell Scholar leads to substantially higher rates of bachelor'sdegree completion within six years, as well improvements on multiple other measures of college success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of school start time on academic performance was analyzed and it was found that moving start times one hour later relative to sunrise increases test scores by 0.08 and 0.06 standard deviations for adolescents in math and reading, respectively.
Abstract: We analyze the effect of school start time on academic performance. Sleep patterns are determined in part by sunrise times, which vary across time zones. Because school start times do not fully reflect this difference, we instrument for the hours of sunlight before school with the time zone boundary in Florida. We find that moving start times one hour later relative to sunrise increases test scores by 0.08 and 0.06 standard deviations for adolescents in math and reading, respectively. In math, the effect is larger for older children and co-varies with entry into an important pubertal stage. School districts can improve performance while maintaining the current distribution of start times by moving classes earlier for younger children and later for older children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
TL;DR: The results show that the decision to care for one’s parents has a significant positive impact on the incidence and amount of bequests received, and it is found that the positive nexus of caregiving and bequest requires a written will as a contract between the parent and the helping child.
Abstract: Informal long-term caregiving for frail elderly individuals by their children may induce parents to compensate their children for their help. To test this hypothesis, I use the exit interview from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). My results show that the decision to care for one's parents has a significant positive impact on the incidence and amount of bequests received. In addition, increasing the amount of care relative to one's siblings significantly increases the proportion of bequest within a family. Furthermore, I find that the positive nexus of caregiving and bequest requires a written will as a contract between the parent and the helping child.
TL;DR: This article developed a new empirical framework for analyzing occupational choice and career progression and found that pre-market skills (primarily ASVAB test scores) predict the task content of the workers' occupations.
Abstract: This paper develops a new empirical framework for analyzing occupational choice and career progression. I merge the NLSYs with O*Net and find that pre-market skills (primarily ASVAB test scores) predict the task content of the workers’ occupations. These measures account for 71 percent of the gender gap in science and engineering occupations. Career trajectories are similar across workers, so that initial differences in occupation persist over time. I then quantify the effect of layoffs on career trajectory and find that a layoff erases one-fourth of a worker’s total career increase in task content but this effect only lasts two years.
TL;DR: In this paper, the importance of teacher subject knowledge for student performance in Sub-Saharan Africa using unique international assessment data for sixth-grade students and their teachers was studied using data from the International Assessment Data System (IADS).
Abstract: We study the importance of teacher subject knowledge for student performance in Sub-Saharan Africa using unique international assessment data for sixth-grade students and their teachers. To circumvent bias due to unobserved student heterogeneity, we exploit variation within students across math and reading. Teacher subject knowledge has a modest impact on student performance. Exploiting vast cross-country differences in economic development, we find that teacher knowledge is effective only in more developed African countries. Results are robust to adding teacher fixed effects and accounting for potential sorting based on subject-specific factors.
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between local labor market opportunities and child health using state unemployment rates and demand-induced changes in mothers' and fathers' employment opportunities was estimated using regression models.
Abstract: We estimate the relationship between local labor market opportunities and child health using state unemployment rates and demand-induced changes in mothers' and fathers' employment opportunities. In contrast with studies of adult health, we find little evidence that aggregate economic conditions are correlated contemporaneously with children's health. However, we find important patterns by gender. In particular, improvements in women's employment opportunities are consistently associated with worse child health, while better labor market conditions for men have positive effects. These patterns suggest that both family income and maternal time are important inputs to child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
TL;DR: This paper found that Super Bowl exposure is associated with a small, but precisely estimated, increase in the probability of low birth weight, and that the relationship between prenatal exposure to the Super Bowl and low birth birth weight was investigated using data from the National Vital Statistics System.
Abstract: Previous studies have explored the effect of earthquakes and terrorist attacks on birth outcomes. These events are unexpected and obvious sources of distress, but could affect fetal health through multiple channels. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System for the period 1969–2004, we estimate the relationship between prenatal exposure to the Super Bowl and low birth weight. Although sporting events can elicit intense emotions, they do not pollute the environment or threaten viewers with direct physical harm. We find that Super Bowl exposure is associated with a small, but precisely estimated, increase in the probability of low birth weight.
TL;DR: This article applied a regression discontinuity design to understand how college major choice is impacted by receiving a higher Advanced Placement (AP) integer score, despite similar exam performance, compared to students who received a lower integer score.
Abstract: Do signals of high aptitude shape the course of collegiate study? We apply a regression discontinuity design to understand how college major choice is impacted by receiving a higher Advanced Placement (AP) integer score, despite similar exam performance, compared to students who received a lower integer score. Attaining higher scores increases the probability that a student majors in that exam subject by approximately 5 percent (0.64 percentage points), with some individual exams demonstrating increases as high as 30 percent. A substantial portion of the overall effect is driven by behavioral responses to the positive signal of receiving a higher score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
TL;DR: This work examines the impact of international child sponsorship on the psychology of Indonesian children by employing a novel program evaluation technique—a quantified analysis of children’s self-portraits—and finds that international sponsorship significantly raises sponsored children's levels of happiness, self-efficacy, and hope.
Abstract: The role of psychological attributes such as hope in escaping poverty has attracted increasing attention. Crucial questions include the impact of early development of positive psychological attributes on socioeconomic outcomes, and whether interventions to reduce poverty increase such attributes. We examine the impact of international child sponsorship on the psychology of Indonesian children by employing a novel program evaluation technique-a quantified analysis of children's self-portraits. To identify causal effects, we exploit an eligibility rule that established a maximum age for participation. We find that international sponsorship significantly raises sponsored children's levels of happiness (0.42σ), self-efficacy (0.29σ), and hope (0.66σ).
TL;DR: In this paper, the causal impact of SMART Grants on student major with a regression discontinuity design was investigated using administrative data from public universities in Texas, finding that income-eligible students were 3.2 percentage points more likely than their ineligible peers to major in targeted fields.
Abstract: We examine whether students respond to immediate financial incentives when choosing their college major. From 2006–2007 to 2010–2011, low-income students in technical or foreign language majors could receive up to $8,000 in SMART Grants. Since income-eligibility was determined using a strict threshold, we determine the causal impact of this grant on student major with a regression discontinuity design. Using administrative data from public universities in Texas, we determine that income-eligible students were 3.2 percentage points more likely than their ineligible peers to major in targeted fields. We measure a larger impact of 10.2 percentage points at Brigham Young University.
TL;DR: This paper explored the possibility that criminal court judges engage in discriminatory sentencing in response to judicial elections and found that incarceration rates rise by 2.4 percentage points in the final six months of the election cycle, but only for black, not white felons.
Abstract: This paper explores the possibility that criminal court judges engage in discriminatory sentencing in response to judicial elections. I use a research design that (1) distinguishes between the effects of judicial elections versus preferences and (2) separates the effects of judicial elections versus the elections of other public officials. I find that incarceration rates rise by 2.4 percentage points in the final six months of the election cycle, but only for black, not white felons. These effects are more pronounced in districts where the median voter is expected to have higher levels of racial prejudice toward blacks.