Does Erasmus mobility increase employability? Using register data to investigate the labour market outcomes of university graduates

Abstract

The chapter sets out to answer a question that has long been on the mind of policy-makers, university leaders, scholars and students: does international student credit mobility have a positive impact on graduate employability? Traditionally, this question has been answered using survey data where internationally mobile students self-report their employment situation at a certain point after graduation. According to these studies, international student mobility positively affects the labour market outcomes of students. For instance, the European Commission reports that: (1) students who completed an Erasmus mobility program are half as likely to face long-term unemployment; (2) the unemployment rate of Erasmus students is 23% lower five years after graduation (European Commission 2014). While these studies provide important insights about the benefits associated with the cross-border credit mobility of students, the results can be plagued by self-selection bias in reporting post-mobility employment outcomes. In order to avoid the problems associated with survey data, in this chapter we offer an analysis based on register data from university records and employment records, using as a case study the West University of Timisoara, a leading comprehensive university in Romania. Using register data offers the possibility to study population-level data and compare the employment outcomes of mobile and non-mobile students. The chapter analyses the impact of credit mobility on insertion in the labour market, income levels and occupational prestige. While the research question that the chapter is trying to answer is important, the main message of the chapter is broader: ministries and higher education institutions should release data for research purposes. Register data is readily available and helps researchers make efficient use of resources. In turn, this can encourage evidence-based policymaking.