Differential effects of graduating during a recession across gender and race

Abstract

This study examines the differential effects of the unemployment rate at labor market entry, defined as the time of leaving school, on subsequent wages across gender and race using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79. Results suggest that the negative effect of a recession at entry on wages is weaker for women. The differences between blacks and whites are not statistically significant for both genders. These results are robust to controlling for the endogenous timing and location of entry, using an instrumental variable based on the predicted year of graduation and the state of residence at age 14. JEL codes: J01, J14, J16.