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Natives, the Foreign-Born and High School Equivalents: New Evidence on the Returns to the GED. Discussion Paper.

Authors :
Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn (Germany).
Clark, Melissa A.
Jaeger, David A.
Publication Year :
2002

Abstract

This paper explores the labor market returns to the General Education Development exam, or GED. Using new data from the Current Population Survey, it examines how the return to the GED varies between U.S. natives and the foreign-born. It finds that foreign-born men who hold a GED but received all of their formal schooling outside of the United States earn significantly more than either foreign-schooled dropouts or individuals with a foreign high school diploma. For foreign-born men with some U.S. schooling, earning a GED brings higher wages than a traditional U.S. high school diploma, although this difference is not statistically different from zero. These patterns stand in contrast to those for U.S. natives, among whom GED recipients earn less than high school graduates but significantly more than dropouts. The effects for natives appear to become larger over the life cycle and do not seem to be due to cohort effects. While it is difficult to attach a purely causal interpretation to the findings, they indicate that the GED may be more valuable in the labor market than some previous research suggests. (Contains 28 references.) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (Author/SM)

Details

Language :
English
Database :
ERIC
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
ED468460
Document Type :
Reports - Research