Working Paper: NBER ID: w26092
Authors: Erica M. Field; Leigh L. Linden; Ofer Malamud; Daniel Rubenson; Shingyi Wang
Abstract: This paper estimates the impact of admission to formal vocational secondary programs on labor market outcomes in Mongolia. We conducted public lotteries to allocate scarce slots for approximately 8,000 students who applied to oversubscribed trades in 10 vocational schools during 2010, 2011, and 2012. We find that admission to oversubscribed vocational schools in Mongolia led to significantly higher employment, and increased earnings for women. These positive impacts appear to be due to the acquisition of more skills in specific trades, greater work intensity, and increased employment opportunities in high-paying sectors.
Keywords: Vocational education; Labor market outcomes; Randomized experiment; Mongolia
JEL Codes: I25; I26; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Skills acquired (J24) | Employment rates (J68) |
| Increased work intensity (J29) | Earnings (J31) |
| Access to higher-paying job opportunities (J62) | Earnings (J31) |
| Admission to vocational schools (I23) | Employment rates (J68) |
| Admission to vocational schools (I23) | Job duration (C41) |
| Admission to vocational schools (I23) | Earnings (J31) |