Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes. Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.

Autor/inn/en	Papageorge, Nicholas W.; Thom, Kevin
Titel	Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes. Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. Gefälligkeitsübersetzung: Gene, Bildung und Berufserfolg. Erkenntnisse aus der Health and Retirement-Studie.
Quelle	In: Journal of the European Economic Association, 18 (2020) 3, S. 1351-1399 PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1542-4766; 1542-4774
DOI	10.1093/jeea/jvz072
Schlagwörter	Kognitive Kompetenz; Soziale Herkunft; Bildungsertrag; Bildungsabschluss; Genetik; Technologische Entwicklung; Sozioökonomischer Faktor; Einkommenshöhe; Berufserfolg; Auswirkung; USA
Abstract	"Recent advances have led to the discovery of specific genetic variants that predict educational attainment. We study how these variants, summarized as a linear index - known as a polygenic score - are associated with human capital accumulation and labor market outcomes in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We present two main sets of results. First, we find evidence that the genetic factors measured by this score interact strongly with childhood socioeconomic status in determining educational outcomes. In particular, although the polygenic score predicts higher rates of college graduation on average, this relationship is substantially stronger for individuals who grew up in households with higher socioeconomic status relative to those who grew up in poorer households. Second, the polygenic score predicts labor earnings even after adjusting for completed education, with larger returns in more recent decades. These patterns suggest that the genetic traits that promote education might allow workers to better accommodate ongoing skill biased technological change. Consistent with this interpretation, we find a positive association between the polygenic score and nonroutine analytic tasks that have benefited from the introduction of new technologies. Nonetheless, the college premium remains a dominant determinant of earnings differences at all levels of the polygenic score. Given the role of childhood SES in predicting college attainment, this raises concerns about wasted potential arising from limited household resources." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons).
Erfasst von	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Nürnberg
Update	2020/4