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Title: | A test of the ‘lose it or use it’ hypothesis in labour markets around the world |
Author: | Albæk, Karsten |
Keywords: | Certificació d'aptituds professionals Competències professionals Envelliment Certification of vocational qualifications Vocational qualifications Aging |
Issue Date: | 2015 |
Publisher: | Institut d’Economia de Barcelona |
Series/Report no: | [WP E-IEB15/24] |
Abstract: | This paper investigates skills and the use of skills at work in 21 OECD countries. The skills included in the analysis are literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. The paper investigates the conjecture that the deterioration of skills with age might be more pronounced in occupations with a limited use of skills than in occupations with more intensive use of these skills – an implication of the ‘use it or lose it’ hypothesis. I look at the development over age of both measured skills and the use of skills at work in two aggregate categories of occupations: a group of high-skilled workers (ISCO major ocupations from 0 to 4) and a group of low-skilled workers (ISCO major occupations from 5 to 9). High-skilled workers have higher measured skills than low-skilled workers and high-skilled workers use skills more at work than low-skilled workers. Measured skills decline from the age of 35 both for high- and low-skilled workers at about the same pace. The use of skills at work also declines from the age of 35 for both high-skilled workers and low-skilled workers at about the same pace, and at about the same rate as measured skills. The evidence does not support the ‘use it or lose it’ hypothesis. |
Note: | Reproducció del document publicat a: http://www.ieb.ub.edu/2012022157/ieb/ultimes-publicacions |
It is part of: | IEB Working Paper 2015/24 |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2445/115380 |
Appears in Collections: | IEB (Institut d’Economia de Barcelona) – Working Papers |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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IEB15-24_Albaek.pdf | 1.65 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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