What Factors Determine Employment and Wage for Graduates and How They Can Influence one Another

Abstract

Abstract With the ever expanding higher education system allowing undergraduate and other higher educational study courses to increase more numbers the labour market is being flooded with skilled labour that the economy can’t provide suitable jobs for. In this time of economic instability and uncertainty what variables can help increase an individuals wage and/or chance of employment?

Using a large sample of data from the Labour Force Survey, the study tests to see what variables influence graduate wage the most and runs hypothesis tests in variables such as education, relationship, age ethnicity, gender, full/part time employment and region. Results found that education has the largest influence on wage with degree students earning more than other higher education students by 22% with all graduates earning 39% more than individuals with just A-levels as their highest form of qualification. Male graduates earned 22% more than female graduates, white graduates earned 13% more than any other race, full time graduates earned 94% more than part time graduates and London and the South East were the highest paid regions for graduates with the South East earning 9% more than other regions and London earning 25% more than other regions.