TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Busso, Matias
AU  - Montaño, Sebastián
AU  - Muñoz-Morales, Juan S.
        TI  - Signaling Specific Skills and the Labor Market of College Graduates
        PY  - 2023/Sep/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 16449
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp16449
        AB  - We use census-like data and a regression discontinuity design to study the labor market impacts of a signal provided by a government-sponsored award given to top-performing students on a nationwide college exit exam in Colombia. Students who can signal their high level of specific skills earn seven to ten percent more than identical students lacking such a signal. The signal allows workers to find jobs in more productive firms and sectors that better use their skills. The positive returns persist for up to five years. The signal favors workers from less advantaged groups who enter the market with weaker signals.
        KW  - signaling
KW  - skills
KW  - wage returns
KW  - awards
KW  - college reputation
KW  - Colombia
        ER  -