Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/223006 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
GLO Discussion Paper No. 628
Publisher: 
Global Labor Organization (GLO), Essen
Abstract: 
Peacetime military service has both positive and negative effects on human capital. While it depreciates academic abilities it also enhances non-cognitive skills. The net effect of conscription is hard to identify due to issues of self-selection, endogenous timing and omitted variables bias. We exploit the compulsory service of men in the Republic of Cyprus prior to university enrolment, to deal with the first two problems. After controlling for prior academic performance, admission age, and other relevant controls, we find that the duration of service has a positive effect on university test scores. Two exogenous reforms on the duration of the service allow us to deal with omitted variables bias. We estimate difference-in-difference models, where female students act as a control group, and show that a reduction (increase) in the length of the army service has a negative (positive) effect on male academic performance.
Subjects: 
Compulsory military service
human capital
education
non-cognitive skills
academic outcomes
JEL: 
C21
H56
I21
J24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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