Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/21428 
Year of Publication: 
2002
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 513
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We estimate a dynamic programming model of schooling decisions in which the degree of risk aversion can be inferred from schooling decisions. In our model, individuals are heterogeneous with respect to school and market abilities but homogeneous with respect to the degree of risk aversion. We allow endogenous schooling attainments to affect the level of risk experienced in labor market earnings through wage dispersion and employment rate dispersion. We find a low degree of relative risk aversion (0.9282) and the estimates indicate that both wage and employment rate dispersions decrease significantly with schooling attainments. We find that a counterfactual increase in risk aversion will increase schooling attainments. Finally, the low degree of risk aversion implies that an increase in earnings dispersion would have little effect on schooling attainments.
Subjects: 
dynamic programming
returns to education
risk Aversion
human capital
earnings dispersion
JEL: 
J3
J2
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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