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Correcting beliefs about job opportunities and wages: a field experiment on education choices

Research output: Working paper / PreprintDiscussion paper

Abstract

In a natural field experiment, we provide information to students about job opportunities and hourly wages of occupations they are interested in. The experiment takes place within a widely-used career orientation program in the Netherlands, and involves 28,186 pre-vocational secondary education students in 243 schools over two years. The information improves students’ belief accuracy and leads them to change their preferred occupation to one with better labor market prospects. Administrative data covering up to seven years after our experiment hows that students who receive information choose and graduate from post- econdary education programs with better job opportunities and higher hourly wages.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
PublisherTinbergen Institute
Pages1-70
Number of pages70
Publication statusPublished - 17 Mar 2026

Publication series

SeriesTinbergen Institute Discussion Papers
NumberTI 2026-011/VII
Volume2026

JEL classifications

  • d83 - "Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief"
  • i26 - Returns to Education
  • j24 - "Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity"

Keywords

  • education choice
  • labor market information
  • field experiment

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