Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/334629 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 12273
Publisher: 
Munich Society for the Promotion of Economic Research - CESifo GmbH, Munich
Abstract: 
This paper investigates the long-run consequences of a later school entry for personality traits. For identification, we exploit the statutory cutoff rules for school enrollment in Germany within a regression discontinuity design. We find that relatively older school starters have persistently lower levels of neuroticism in adulthood. This effect is entirely driven by women, which has important implications for gender gaps in the labor market, as women typically score significantly higher on neuroticism at all stages of life, which puts them at a disadvantage. Our results suggest that family decisions regarding compliance with enrollment cutoffs may have lasting implications for gender gaps in socio-emotional skills.
Subjects: 
school starting age
personality
socio-emotional skills
education
JEL: 
I21
I28
J24
D19
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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