The College-to-work Transition during the 1990:s. Evidence from Sweden

Abstract

This paper analyzes the time it takes for Swedish college graduates to start a full-time job that lasts for six month or more. The focus is on the transition from college-to-work during the period 1991–1999. This period covers both upturns and downturns of the business cycle, providing a unique opportunity to consider the importance of the timing of graduation. The results show that the risk of unemployment and the unemployment duration have varied considerably with the business cycle, both within and between cohorts. For example, field of education is more important for the studied outcomes during recessions. Further, the relative risk of unemployment has decreased across time for individuals with the highest degree of education whereas the unemployment duration has increased, indicating that the selection into unemployment for this group may have changed over time. This is interesting, not least in the light of the rapid expansion of the higher educational system during the studied period.college graduates; work; college-to-work-transition; unemployment; education