Why Do French Engineers Find Stable Jobs Faster than PhDs?

38 Pages Posted: 27 Dec 2017

See all articles by David N. Margolis

David N. Margolis

Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; World Bank - Social Protection Unit (HDNSP); Paris School of Economics (PSE)

Luis Miotti

Independent; Université Paris XIII Nord

Abstract

This paper studies why PhDs in France take longer to find stable jobs than engineers. Using data from CEREQ's "Génération 2004" survey, we show that job finding rates of PhDs are lower than those of engineers and document the differences in their observable characteristics and fields of study. We show that this phenomenon is due to multiple factors: heterogeneity in student characteristics along observable (but not unobservable) dimensions and fields of study, directed search toward public sector positions (especially professors) among PhDs and reservation wages of PhDs for private sector jobs that are "too high" relative to their value of marginal product.

Keywords: school-to-work transition, STEM, directed search, wage subsidies

JEL Classification: J24, I23, J64

Suggested Citation

Margolis, David N. and Miotti, Luis, Why Do French Engineers Find Stable Jobs Faster than PhDs?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 11197, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3092521 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3092521

David N. Margolis (Contact Author)

Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne ( email )

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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World Bank - Social Protection Unit (HDNSP) ( email )

Human Development Network
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Paris School of Economics (PSE) ( email )

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Luis Miotti

Independent ( email )

Université Paris XIII Nord ( email )

Avenue Jean Baptiste Clement
Villetaneuse, Seine Saint Denis 93430
France

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