Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/51822 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 5662
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper relaxes the assumption of homogeneous rates of return to schooling by employing nonparametric kernel regression. This approach allows us to examine the differences in rates of return to education both across and within groups. Similar to previous studies we find that on average blacks have higher returns to education than whites, natives have higher returns than immigrants and younger workers have higher returns than older workers. Contrary to previous studies we find that the average gap of the rate of return between white and black workers is larger than previously thought and the gap is smaller between immigrants and natives. We also uncover significant heterogeneity, the extent of which differs both across and within groups. The estimated densities of returns vary across groups and time periods and are often skewed. For example, during the period 1950-1990, at least 5% of whites have negative returns. Finally, we uncover the characteristics common amongst those with the smallest and largest returns to education. For example, we find that immigrants, aged 50-59, are most likely to have rates of return in the bottom 5% of the population.
Subjects: 
Mincer regressions
nonparametric
rate of return to education
JEL: 
C14
J24
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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