Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers Creation-Date: 2011-02-22 Number: 11-045/3 Author-Name: Jacopo Mazza Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam Author-Name: Hans van Ophem Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam Author-Name: Joop Hartog Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam Title: Unobserved Heterogeneity and Risk in Wage Variance: Does Schooling provide Earnings Insurance? Abstract: We apply a recently proposed method to disentangle unobserved heterogeneity from risk in returns to education. We replicate the original study on US men and extend to US women, UK men and German men. Most original results are not robust. A college education cannot universally be considered an insurance against unpredictability of wages. One conclusion is unequivocally confirmed: uncertainty strongly dominates unobserved heterogeneity. Classification-JEL: C01, C33, C34, J31 Keywords: wage inequality, wage uncertainty, unobserved heterogeneity, selectivity, education, replication File-Url: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/11045.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Size: 222769 bytes Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20110045