ERIC Number: EJ1103965
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1358-3883
EISSN: N/A
Transition from Higher Education to Work: Are Master Graduates Increasingly Over-Educated for Their Jobs?
Støren, Anne Liv; Wiers-Jenssen, Jannecke
Tertiary Education and Management, v22 n2 p134-148 2016
In this paper we address the transition from higher education to work among graduates with a master's degree, with a particular focus on over-education. We relate to an ongoing debate on whether too many students undertake a master's degree, and the consequences a surplus of graduates may have. Our data show that the transition from higher education to work has not become much more difficult during the period 1995-2013, despite a huge increase in the number of graduates. Unemployment rates fluctuate, but were lower at the end of the period than at the beginning. Regarding over-education, we find an increase at the beginning of the observation period, but a striking stability in years when the number of graduates rose sharply. When considering all educational groups together, we find no association between the number of graduates, business cycles and the prevalence of over-education. However, we find some exceptions when looking at different subject fields.
Descriptors: Masters Programs, Education Work Relationship, Employment Opportunities, Employment Level, Employment Potential, Educational Benefits, Educational Attainment, Labor Market, Structural Unemployment, Graduate Surveys, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A