Labour market inequality at the post-secondary level in South Africa: understanding employment and earning outcomes among graduates and diplomates
Date
2017
Authors
Mavundla, Khethiwe
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Abstract
This study explores labour market inequality amongst those with post-secondary education in South Africa. The need to invest in higher education has been emphasised as the gateway to facilitating equal opportunities in the labour market, with the view of bridging inequality in employment and incomes. Nevertheless, South Africa’s labour market remains highly unequal, despite higher rates of enrolment and completion in higher education. The existing body of literature suggests that labour market outcomes amongst those with post-secondary education are not equal, consequently widening the level of inequality within the economy. Using the Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2014 annual dataset a combination of descriptive statistics and econometric tools are employed to investigate employment and earnings outcomes between graduates and diplomates. The findings indicate that graduates are more successful in obtaining employment relative to diplomates even once demographic and geographic characteristics and field of study are controlled for. Moreover, graduates obtain a substantial earnings premium relative to diplomates even when controlling for job characteristics
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Masters in Development Theory and Policy, School of Economics and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, March 2017
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Citation
Mavundla, Khethiwe (2016) Labour market inequality at the post-secondary level in South Africa: understanding employment and earning outcomes among graduates and diplomats, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24123>