Union and Union Threat Premiums Among Graduate Student Stipends

To inform the ongoing debate over graduate student unionization, the author tests for the presence of union-related premiums among teaching and research assistant stipends using data from The Chronicle of Higher Education’s survey of departments in six fields in 2000, 2001, and 2003. Ordinary least squares and instrumental variables methods reveal union and union threat premiums among teaching assistant stipends. There is little evidence of union-related premiums among research assistant stipends. Specifications controlling for union composition or using employment weights reveal that the teaching assistant only union premium is positive for teaching assistant stipends and negative for research assistant stipends. This suggests that collectively bargained contracts may yield benefits for teaching assistants at the expense of research assistants when the latter are excluded from the bargaining unit. There is a positive premium to joint teaching and research assistant unions for teaching assistant stipends and no effect for research assistant stipends

Explaining Rising Returns to Education in Urban China in the 1990s

Although theory predicts that international trade will decrease the relative demand for skilled workers in relatively skill-deficit countries, in recent decades many developing countries have experienced rising wage premiums for skilled workers. We examines this puzzle by quantifying the relative importance of different supply and demand factors in explaining the rapid increase in the returns to education experienced by China during the 1990s. Analyzing Chinese urban household survey and census data for six provinces, we find that although changes in the structure of demand did reduce the demand for skilled workers, consistent with trade theory, the magnitude of the effect was modest and more than offset by institutional reforms and technological changes that increased the relative demand for skill.education, earnings, inequality, China

Diffusion of Common Application Membership and Admissions Outcomes at American Colleges and Universities

We study the adoption of Common Application membership by private four-year postsecondary institutions and its role in explaining the growth in undergraduate applications. Using data from the College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges, proportional hazards models suggest that institutions respond to the net benefit of adoption. We then estimate that membership increases applications by 5.7–7.0 percent and decreases yield rates by 2.8–3.9 percent. Acceptance rates decrease for members when their local networks are large. Falsification tests indicate that membership effects occur as a one-time adoption shock. Membership also decreases SAT scores and increases the percent students of color

Returns to Skill and Teacher Wage Premiums: What Can We Learn By Comparing the Teacher and Private Sector Labor Markets?

Estimates the wage differences between public school teachers and other professions over time by gender, advanced degree, major, college quality, and technical and academic skills. Explores the incentives needed to attract and retain effective teachers