Causal Returns to Education
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Anton L. Flossmann
Summary
This paper surveys the empirical evidence on causal effects of education on earnings for Germany and compares alternative studies in the light of their underlying identifying assumptions. We work out the different assumptions taken by various studies, which lead to rather different interpretations of the estimated causal effect. In particular, we are interested in the question to what extend causal return estimates are informative regarding educational policy advice. Despite the substantial methodological differences, we have to conclude that the empirical findings for Germany are quite robust and do not deviate substantially from each other. This also holds for the few studies which rely on ignorability conditions, regardless of whether they use educational attainment as a continuous treatment variable or as a discrete treatment indicator. Own estimates based on the matching approach indicate that the selection into upper secondary schooling is suboptimal
© 2006 by Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart
Articles in the same Issue
- Titelei
- Inhalt / Contents
- Editorial
- Abhandlungen / Original Papers
- Causal Returns to Education
- Heterogeneous Returns to Training
- Employment Protection: Its Effects on Different Skill Groups and on the Incentive to become Skilled
- Training, Mobility, and Wages: Specific Versus General Human Capital
- A Duration Analysis of the Effects of Tuition Fees for Long-Term Students in Germany
Articles in the same Issue
- Titelei
- Inhalt / Contents
- Editorial
- Abhandlungen / Original Papers
- Causal Returns to Education
- Heterogeneous Returns to Training
- Employment Protection: Its Effects on Different Skill Groups and on the Incentive to become Skilled
- Training, Mobility, and Wages: Specific Versus General Human Capital
- A Duration Analysis of the Effects of Tuition Fees for Long-Term Students in Germany
