The Math-Verbal Divide: Unequal Returns to Cognitive Skills in Education and Work.

Autor/inn/en	Delaney, Judith; Devereux, Paul
Institution	Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research
Titel	The Math-Verbal Divide: Unequal Returns to Cognitive Skills in Education and Work. Gefälligkeitsübersetzung: Die Kluft zwischen mathematischen und sprachlichen Fähigkeiten: Ungleiche Erträge kognitiver Fähigkeiten in Bildung und Beruf.
Quelle	Esch-sur-Alzette (2026), 39 S. PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Reihe	IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER. 18542
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; Monografie
Schlagwörter	Kompetenz; Kognitive Kompetenz; Bildungsertrag; Sekundarbereich; Schüler; Bildungsabschluss; Schulleistung; Sprache; Englisch; Mathematik; Einkommenseffekt; Berufserfolg; Studium; Studienfachwahl; Studienabschluss; Mittleres Lebensalter; Arbeitspapier; Auswirkung; Geschlechtsspezifik; Hochschulabsolvent; England; Großbritannien
Abstract	"We use population-level administrative data on secondary school students in England to examine how mathematical and verbal skills shape educational and labour market outcomes. Tracking cohorts from age 16 through higher education and into employment up to age 34, we show that these skills operate through distinct pathways. Verbal skills strongly predict educational attainment - including university enrolment, completion, and postgraduate study - while mathematical skills yield substantially larger earnings returns. At ages 30-34, moving from the 25th to the 75th percentile of the mathematics distribution is associated with 29% higher earnings, compared with 14% for verbal skills. This divergence is partly driven by field-of-study choice: individuals with stronger verbal skills are more likely to enter fields with higher completion rates but lower pay, while those with stronger mathematical skills sort into STEM and other high-paying fields. Gender differences in skills explain the female advantage in higher education and part of the STEM gap, but have limited impact on the gender earnings gap due to offsetting effects across these channels." The study refers to the period 2002-2020 (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku).
Erfasst von	Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Nürnberg
Update	2026/4