When Does Education Matter? The Protective Effect of Education for Cohorts Graduating in Bad Times

47 Pages Posted: 26 May 2014 Last revised: 28 Jan 2023

See all articles by David M. Cutler

David M. Cutler

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Wei Huang

Emory University - Department of Economics; National University of Singapore (NUS) - NUS Business School; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Adriana Lleras-Muney

Princeton University - Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: May 2014

Abstract

Using Eurobarometer data, we document large variation across European countries in education gradients in income, self-reported health, life satisfaction, obesity, smoking and drinking. While this variation has been documented previously, the reasons why the effect of education on income, health and health behaviors varies is not well understood. We build on previous literature documenting that cohorts graduating in bad times have lower wages and poorer health for many years after graduation, compared to those graduating in good times. We investigate whether more educated individuals suffer smaller income and health losses as a result of poor labor market conditions upon labor market entry. We confirm that a higher unemployment rate at graduation is associated with lower income, lower life satisfaction, greater obesity, more smoking and drinking later in life. Further, education plays a protective role for these outcomes, especially when unemployment rates are high: the losses associated with poor labor market outcomes are substantially lower for more educated individuals. Variation in unemployment rates upon graduation can potentially explain a large fraction of the variance in gradients across different countries.

Suggested Citation

Cutler, David M. and Huang, Wei and Lleras-Muney, Adriana, When Does Education Matter? The Protective Effect of Education for Cohorts Graduating in Bad Times (May 2014). NBER Working Paper No. w20156, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2441807

David M. Cutler (Contact Author)

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Wei Huang

Emory University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Adriana Lleras-Muney

Princeton University - Princeton School of Public and International Affairs ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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