高等教育对雇主感知的影响
The Impact of Higher Education on Employer Perceptions
The Economic Journal · 2025 · [{"name": "Renske Stans", "affiliation": ["National Audit Office", "Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing"]}, {"name": "Laura Ehrmantraut", "affiliation": ["Federal Statistical Office", "Statistisches Bundesamt"]}, {"name": "Malin Siemers", "affiliation": ["IZA - Institute of Labor Economics"]}, {"name": "Pia Pinger", "affiliation": ["University of Cologne"]}]
中文摘要
摘要：雇主寻求吸引受教育程度更高的求职者，究竟是因为教育提升了人力资本，还是因为教育向雇主传递了更高水平既有特质的信号？我们通过实验操纵求职者简历上硕士学位的完成情况，考察这如何影响候选人的受青睐程度，以及雇主对其生产性特质的认知。研究结果显示，完成硕士学位会提高候选人的受青睐程度，而未完成的硕士学位在人力资源经理看来反而不如学士学位有利。这表明，雇主偏好受教育程度更高的候选人，主要是因为他们将学位视为既有生产性特质的信号。与此一致的是，相比学士学位持有者，雇主认为硕士毕业生的认知与非认知特质均更强，而硕士辍学者的非认知特质则更弱。总体而言，在决定候选人吸引力方面，雇主感知到的认知与非认知特质所起的作用大于专业知识本身。因此，本文为教育溢价的起源提供了因果证据。
Abstract
Abstract Do employers seek to attract individuals with more education because it enhances human capital or because it signals higher levels of pre-existing traits? We experimentally vary master’s degree completion rates on applicant résumés and examine how this influences candidates’ desirability and employer perceptions of their productive characteristics. Our findings show that while a completed master’s degree increases desirability, an incomplete master’s degree is perceived by human resource managers as less favourable than a bachelor’s degree. This suggests that employers prefer candidates with higher education mainly because they view the degree as a signal of pre-existing productive traits. Consistent with this, employers perceive both cognitive and non-cognitive traits as stronger in master graduates, but non-cognitive traits as weaker in master dropouts compared to bachelor’s degree holders. Overall, perceived cognitive and non-cognitive traits play a larger role in determining a candidate’s attractiveness than expertise. This paper thus provides causal evidence on the origins of the education premium.