ERIC Number: ED674065
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 41
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Closing Gaps for Racial Minorities and Immigrants through School-to-Work Linkages and Occupational Match. EdWorkingPaper No. 24-947
Brian Holzman; Jeehee Han; Bethany Lewis; Irina Chukhray
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
This study investigates the role of college major choices in labor market outcomes, with a focus on racial minorities and immigrants. Drawing upon research on school-to-work linkages, we examine two measures, "linkage" -- the connection between college majors and specific occupations in the labor market -- and "match" -- the alignment of workers' occupations with their college majors. Analyzing data from the American Community Survey, 2013-2017, we show that linkage positively predicts earnings, particularly for workers in matched occupations, and negatively predicts unemployment. Notably, Black, Hispanic, and foreign-born workers in matched occupations benefit more from linkage strength than their White and U.S.-born counterparts. This advantage is more pronounced in states that are popular destinations for immigrants. Our findings suggest that the earnings and unemployment disparities experienced by racial minorities and immigrants may diminish if they pursue majors closely tied to jobs in the labor market and secure jobs related to their college majors.
Descriptors: Race, Minority Groups, Immigrants, Labor Market, Employment Level, Education Work Relationship, Majors (Students), Unemployment, National Surveys, College Graduates, Bachelors Degrees
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: American Community Survey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A