Much research has been made in recent years on the effect of over and under education on earnings. In this paper, I examine the validity of the assumption that the return to over (under) education is independent of the level of education. I use data from the PIAAC survey to estimate the return to education. The findings show that while this…

Occupational mismatch is a highly debated phenomenon in developed countries, but rarely addressed in developing economies. This study investigates the magnitudes of overeducation and overskilling in four Latin American countries in which tertiary education has expanded rapidly (i.e. Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru). Using objective and subjective…

Education-job mismatch--a signal of market failure due to the inefficient assignment of workers to positions--is one of the main features of the modern labor market (Leuven & Oosterbeek; 2011; Quinitini; 2011; Verhaest & Van der Velden; 2013). Mismatch refers to over- and undereducation on the job market when workers hold educational…

Background: One way of evaluating immigrants' labor market outcomes is to assess the extent to which immigrants are able to enter into jobs that are commensurate with their education and experience. An imperfect alignment between workers' educational qualifications and these required for their current job, or education-job mismatch, has…

Problems of overeducation and overqualification in developed countries have attracted the attention of policymakers and researchers alike. While these phenomena have been clearly conceptualised, their measurement remains complex and controversial. This paper presents an overview of the phenomena and map overeducation and overqualification across…

One of the most salient characteristics of the recent evolution of Chilean higher education system is its rapid expansion. Conversely, the competencies required for the workforce have been slower to emerge. This paper examines the incidence of qualification and skill mismatches across different populations, across age groups, gender, and…

Observing the transition from industrial work to more and more digitalised work in the last decades, in this paper we discuss changes in employment and the relevance of numeracy in adult basic education and in working environments. In a knowledge society, the demand for highly qualified professionals is growing. It is questionable what effects…

According to practice engagement theory within the field of adult education, everyday workplace activities offer an opportunity for skill development among youth and young adults; yet, prior research highlights the prevalence of routine and low-skill work within entry-level jobs. Utilising data from the Programme for the International Assessment…

Recently, several countries have attempted to encourage life-long learning and to widen university accessibility to include a wider mix of students. In Australia, numerous new pathways with the Vocational Education and Training sector have been established for these purposes. This study reports on the effects that two variables, gender and age,…

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the effect of different educational orientations at the upper-secondary level on labour market outcomes across European countries. The study separates safety net effect and the diversion effect of Vocational Education and Training (VET). Using PIAAC data, we show cross-national differences in the early…

More than 10 million U.S. workers with college degrees, or one in six, are immigrants. While many have found jobs that make full use of their education and skills, nearly a quarter are underemployed, that is, they are either working in jobs that require no more than a high school diploma or are out of work. Tackling immigrants' skill…

Policymakers are increasingly concerned that employees need both foundational skills, such as numeracy, and soft skills to take better advantage of new technologies and adapt to changing work. In this study, we examined the relationships between the use of soft skills and occupational outcomes among a nationally representative sample of adult…