The impact of combining work with study on the labour market performance of graduates: the joint role of work intensity and job-field match

Abstract

Purpose - This paper investigates the effects of working during university education on labour market outcomes of university graduates. Design/methodology/approach - Based on data from three successive cohorts of graduates from the Spanish region of Catalonia, the authors estimate the effect of having worked in different types of jobs before graduation, classified according to work intensity and the match with the field of study, on the probability of being employed, having a permanent contract or having a job that requires the specific degree four years after graduation. The authors employ a multinomial endogenous treatment model that enables controlling for self selection into pre-graduation working activities (...)