A signal of (Train)ability? Grade repetition and hiring chances

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2021
Volume: 188
Issue: C
Pages: 867-878

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This article contributes to the nascent literature on the effect of grade retention in school on later labor market success. A field experiment is conducted to rule out the endogeneity of both outcomes. More concretely, various treatments of grade retention are randomly assigned to fictitious résumés sent in application to real vacancies. Overall, grade retention does not significantly affect positive call-back by employers. However, when narrowing in on vacancies for occupations where on-the-job training is important, job candidates with a record of grade retention are 16% less likely to receive a positive reaction. This finding is consistent with Queuing theory.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:188:y:2021:i:c:p:867-878
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24