Information Asymmetry, Education Signals and the Case of Ethnic and Native Germans

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of education signals for Ethnic Germans and Germans without a migration background ('Native Germans'). We base our analysis on a sorting model with productivity enhancing effects of education. We compare whether the signalling value differs between the migrants and non-migrants in the German labour market. Starting from the theoretical result that only a separating equilibrium can exist, we find substantial empirical differences between Ethnic and Native Germans with the same formal education level. This empirical analysis is done with a completely new dataset based on administrative data from the German Federal Employment Agency.

Keywords: sorting theory, human-capital theory, returns to education, migration

JEL Classification: J24, J31, F22