This study analyses the relationship between a firms' growth and the educational diversity of their workforce. It differentiates itself from other studies by using two measures of human capital diversity--one for education levels and one for fields--instead of one. The results show that workers with more diverse specializations than the workforce…

Education is the cornerstone of opportunity in America. It builds pathways, changes lives, and holds the promise of a brighter future. For my family, it has been the bridge that carried us from the American Nightmare to the American Dream. But make no mistake: that bridge is under attack. Public education--the very foundation of opportunity in…

We exploit historical natural experiments to test whether universities increase economic mobility and equality. We use "runner-up'" counties that were strongly considered to become university sites but were not selected for as-good-as-random reasons as counterfactuals for university counties. University establishment causes greater…

Background/Purpose: Students enroll in college at least in part to prepare for a career after graduation. At the same time, for many students, attending college requires working to earn money (Perna, 2020). Optimally, these work positions concurrently provide students the opportunity to develop skills that have labor market returns, explore career…

This study examines an in-depth and systematic review of the effect of education on macroeconomic variables in Ethiopia, taking into account the effect of education systems on the skill gap and unemployment of graduates. Education economies in the literature show the effect of education on economic growth, as well as the effects of education on…

Over half of the students enrolled in public higher education are enrolled in community colleges. For decades, community colleges have provided an avenue for students to transfer to four-year institutions and pursue a bachelor's degree in addition to providing a critical avenue for upward mobility for historically underserved student populations.…

Veterans are the unacknowledged permanent ambassadors of national service. How veterans are publicly portrayed directly relates to how society conceptualizes military service, including what happens to an individual during that service. In an all-volunteer force, reputation is key to the attractiveness of joining a profession that can end in death…

In the post-World War II period, workers with a high school diploma or less were able to attain jobs with middle-class wages in American industry. Good jobs were available in manufacturing and other blue-collar industries that employed large numbers of high school-educated workers. But as automation, globalization, and related phenomena have led…

Higher education could be one of California's most effective tools for combating economic and social inequities. College graduates experience large wage gains and their jobs offer more benefits than those of workers without bachelor's degrees. College graduates are also relatively insulated from recessions--including the current downturn--and…

This article reports on a skills gap problem experienced in New England states where the economy has improved, but economic opportunity and skills gaps contribute to slower growth in employment, income, and social mobility. The article suggests ways to overcome this gap by building stronger bridges between education and employment…

In partnership with the John M. Belk Endowment, MDC has researched and written the report, "North Carolina's Economic Imperative: Building an Infrastructure of Opportunity," part of our work with the endowment to study, address, and propose solutions for the low mobility rate of too many North Carolinians. The report examines patterns of…

It has often been stated that the Arab "world" is faced by a demographic challenge which is very different to that of many countries in the global North. As the Arab Spring has shown, youths across the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are keen to make a mark, and despite the internal conflicts and contests for power and…

The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of the association between major field of study in college and early career earnings among a sample of academically accomplished minority students. Results demonstrate the economic benefits minority students experience from majoring in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math field…

A college degree pays off--but by just how much? In this report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the authors examine just what a college degree is worth--and what else besides a degree might influence an individual's potential earnings. This report examines lifetime earnings for all education levels and…

As the U.S. economy slowly rebounds, the nation's community colleges are focused on putting Americans back to work. Across the country, training programs in emerging career fields, including nuclear, wind, and clean coal production, vie for the attention of job seekers in search of a more secure financial future. But these shiny new careers aren't…