Postgraduate Education, Labor Participation, and Wages: An empirical analysis using micro data from Japan

         
Author Name MORIKAWA Masayuki (Vice Chairman & Vice President, RIETI)
Creation Date/NO. July 2013 13-E-065
Research Project Analysis on Service Industries: Productivity, Economic Welfare, and Policy Evaluation
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Abstract

Using micro data from the 2007 Employment Status Survey, this paper analyzes the relationship between postgraduate education and labor market outcomes in Japan. According to the analysis, 1) the employment-population rates of females and elderly people with postgraduate education are higher than they are for those with undergraduate education. The negative effect of marriage on labor participation is small for postgraduate females. 2) The wage premium for postgraduates relative to undergraduates is approximately 30%. The postgraduate wage premium is similar in magnitude for male and female workers. 3) The wage reduction after age 60 is less for workers with a postgraduate education. 4) The private rate of return to postgraduate education exceeds 10%. Due to advanced technology and the growing demand for increased skills, the importance of postgraduate education to vitalize the economy is growing. At the same time, the expansion of postgraduate education may contribute to increasing the labor participation of females and elderly people.

This is the English version of the Japanese Discussion Paper (13-J-046) with some additional information and changes.

Published: Masayuki Morikawa, 2015. "Postgraduate Education and Labor Market Outcomes: An Empirical Analysis Using Micro Data from Japan," Industrial Relations, Vol. 54(3), pp. 499-520.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/irel.12100/abstract