A 'causal' estimate of the effect of schooling on full-time employment among young Australians.

Chris Ryan, Australian National University

Longitudinal surveys of Australian youth research report ; n.35

Abstract

This paper exploits a policy change that occurred in South Australia in the mid 1980s to generate a 'causal' estimate of the effect of schooling on full-time employment outcomes. The Early Years of School policy changed the way that an identifiable subset of students progressed through junior primary school, causing them to obtain an additional year of schooling for any completed grade or level compared with their predecessors. The policy affected individuals born in specific months of the year (most of those born in October to February inclusive and some of those born in July to September inclusive) whereas individuals born at other times (March to June inclusive) were unaffected by it and provide a natural comparison group for assessing its impact. [Extract]