Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Labor Market Prospects of Students Exiting Higher Education

Millions of U.S. college graduates, who arrived in the country as young children, face restricted access to employment. A growing share of the population may therefore be highly-trained but under-employed. However, there is scant evidence evaluating whether, how, and why employers screen higher-educated job seekers for employment with respect to applicants' immigration status. This project tests the simultaneous effects of several variables, such as immigration status and ethno-racial identity, on college graduates' employment opportunities. It also evaluates whether employers' perceptions of job applicants, as well as employers' interpretation of applicable laws, help explain employers' decisions. This project provides insights into creating a better match in resources between the U.S. educational system and the labor market.

This project consists of a field experiment and a survey experiment. In the field experiment, hypothetical resumes of college graduates are submitted online to real job postings in eight large cities. Differences in callback rates are calculated across five applicants, who are matched in all but a small number of critical respects (e.g., immigration status, ethno-racial identity). In the survey experiment, the same hypothetical resumes are shown to a national sample of employers. In addition to answering which applicant they would callback for an interview, employers also answer questions addressing their perceptions of the applicants and their knowledge of relevant laws. Employers' answers to these questions will be analyzed to determine whether they help explain differences in callback rates. This project advances theoretical understanding of whether and how laws shape the production of inequality among a growing share of the higher-educated population. It also makes theoretical contributions to the fields of law and society and inequality.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.