Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/124934 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 9403
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper examines the relationship between individuals' skills and labor market outcomes for the working-age population of Colombia's urban areas. Using a 2012 unique household survey, the paper finds that cognitive skills (aptitudes to perform mental tasks such as comprehension or reasoning) and socio-emotional skills (personality traits and behaviors) matter for favorable labor market outcomes in the Colombian context, although they have distinct roles. Cognitive skills are greatly associated with higher earnings and holding a formal job or a high-qualified occupation. By contrast, socio-emotional skills appear to have little direct influence on these outcomes, but play a stronger role in labor market participation. Both types of skills, especially cognitive skills, are largely associated with pursuing tertiary education. The analysis applies standard econometric techniques as a benchmark and structural estimations to correct for the measurement error of skill constructs.
Subjects: 
returns to skills
cognitive skills
socio-emotional skills
personality traits
latent skills
unobserved heterogeneity
labor market outcomes
Colombia
JEL: 
J24
J31
I24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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