DP2968 Using Employer Hiring Behaviour to Test the Educational Signalling Hypothesis

Author(s):	James Albrecht, Jan C. van Ours
Publication Date:	September 2001
Keyword(s):	recruitment, signalling
JEL(s):	I20
Programme Areas:	Labour Economics
Link to this Page:	cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=2968

This Paper presents a test of the educational signalling hypothesis. If employers use education as a signal in the hiring process, they will rely more on education when less is otherwise known about applicants. We find that employers are more likely to lower educational standards when an informal, more informative recruitment channel is used, so we conclude that education is used as a signal in the hiring process.