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Full-Text Articles in Labor Economics

Examining The Afqt As A Proxy For Human Capital, Jaret L. Kanarek Nov 2014

Examining The Afqt As A Proxy For Human Capital, Jaret L. Kanarek

Undergraduate Economic Review

I examine whether the Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT) is a suitable proxy for human capital skills by testing the hypothesis that those factors most germane to human capital skills acquisition will most affect AFQT score. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of the Youth and OLS regression analysis, I find that strict and loose human capital factors are robust determinants of AFQT score, and thus the AFQT is a suitable proxy for human capital skills. However, its use as such requires specification that the AFQT is not a catchall for human capital factors, as it is significantly related …


The Unseen Cost Of Lowering Labor Market Flexibility On Higher Education Market: Evidence From Cross-Sectional Data From Oecd, Hansol Kim Sep 2014

The Unseen Cost Of Lowering Labor Market Flexibility On Higher Education Market: Evidence From Cross-Sectional Data From Oecd, Hansol Kim

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper attempts to determine the unseen consequences of lowering labor market flexibility and its impact on individuals’ demand for higher education by using standard OLS multiple regression analysis and cross-sectional data. I examine the independent variables that are theorized to increase the percentage of college diplomas attained in the market. Independent variables are chosen based on what has been studied in the prior literature. This study finds that labor market flexibility has a positive correlation with the percentage of adult population who have a higher education diploma. The results of this study suggest that individuals’ demand for higher education …


The Spanish Export Led Recovery, David Wagner May 2014

The Spanish Export Led Recovery, David Wagner

Undergraduate Economic Review

I researched the export-led recovery currently taking place in Spain. My thesis revolved around Mariano Rajoy and the Popular Party coming into power in 2011 and instituting reforms in three distinct categories; financial market reforms, fiscal measures, and labor market reforms. These reforms have had a significant impact in restoring credibility in Spain's capital markets and decreasing unit labor costs. In turn, Spain has shown impressive export growth in the past two years, especially compared to its neighbors Italy and France.


Can Human Capital Explain The Difference In Private Health Insurance Coverage Rates Between Natives And Immigrants?, Benjamin S. White Apr 2014

Can Human Capital Explain The Difference In Private Health Insurance Coverage Rates Between Natives And Immigrants?, Benjamin S. White

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper investigates how human capital variables, especially educational attainment and health disability, affect an immigrant’s probability to have private health insurance. Specifically, is there a convergence to natives’ coverage rates for immigrants as human capital is controlled for? Two probit regressions are used to answer this question, one to analyze the employer provided health insurance market and another to analyze privately purchased health insurance market. The principle finding is that human capital variables are important in determining access to private health insurance. However, a health insurance coverage differential does remain between immigrants and natives.


The Effects Of Background Factors On Afqt Score, Jaret Kanarek Apr 2014

The Effects Of Background Factors On Afqt Score, Jaret Kanarek

Honors Projects

The introduction of the National Longitudinal Survey of the Youth (NLSY) 1979 and 1997 cohorts made Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT) score data widely available and has thus dramatically increased its use in academic research. However, there is strong evidence that a wide variety of background factors, such as poverty status, race, and parent’s education level, affect AFQT score. Human capital theory, in conjunction with the pathways framework, suggests that these background factors have both direct and indirect effects on AFQT score. The focus of this research is measuring some of the important direct and indirect pathways through which background …


Employment Protection And Income Inequality: Is There A Role For The Informal Sector?, Eleni Gkinni, Eleni Vasilaki Feb 2014

Employment Protection And Income Inequality: Is There A Role For The Informal Sector?, Eleni Gkinni, Eleni Vasilaki

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper seeks to examine the effect of employment protection on income inequality. By employing the employment protection data developed by Botero et al. (2004) as well as well established measures of economic inequality for a sample of 83 countries, our analysis suggests that increased employment protection is negatively associated with income inequality. This relationship remains highly robust across several different specifications and estimation methods. In addition, our analysis places the spotlight on the role of the informal economy and investigates how the presence of informal sector may affect the above mentioned relationship. Our results suggest that in the presence …


Youth Aptitude As A Predictor Of Adulthood Income, Jaret Kanarek Jan 2014

Youth Aptitude As A Predictor Of Adulthood Income, Jaret Kanarek

Undergraduate Economic Review

I examine the relationship between youth aptitude and adulthood income. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of the Youth 1979 cohort and OLS regression analysis, I test the hypothesis that a higher 1981 Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT) score is directly related to a higher income in 2010, ceteris paribus. First, a single regression equation is run for educational attainment subgroups at the time of taking the AFQT. Second, a regression equation including total lifetime educational attainment, and one that excludes it, are run to examine potential co-linearity between AFQT score and educational attainment. The results show that AFQT is significant …