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The Impact of Education Levels and Paths on Labor Market Outcomes in South Korea: Focusing on Vocational High School Graduates

18 Pages Posted: 9 Jun 2020 Publication Status: Published

Abstract

The predominant perception in South Korea is that the route to the best jobs is to attend university. Even two-thirds of vocational high school graduates now go to university. This paper examines the impact of different education paths on employment and wages. Unlike previous research, it takes account of Korea’s unusual education system. It uses not only probit and ordinary least squares models but also a conditional expectation correction method model to tackle unobserved heterogeneity. The paper finds vocational secondary education followed by direct entry into the labor market yields better employment status and wages than higher education, when controlling for family and individual characteristics. This result challenges the appropriateness of Korea’s current education strategy of maximizing higher education enrollments.

Keywords: Rate of return to education, vocational education, education path, labor market outcomes, South Korea

Suggested Citation

Choi, Seonkyung, The Impact of Education Levels and Paths on Labor Market Outcomes in South Korea: Focusing on Vocational High School Graduates. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3621851 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3621851

Seonkyung Choi (Contact Author)

Hiroshima University ( email )

Higashihiroshima, 739-0046
Japan

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