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In the developed world, the disabled population accounts for a large, and growing proportion of the working-age population (Jones, 2008). Given such consistent growth, there has been an increasing amount of interest, from both the academic and policy community alike, in understanding who people with disabilities (PwD) are, as well as what they experience in their social and economic lives. In terms of setting the scene for New Zealand, there is significant growth in the number of people receiving an Invalids Benefit (IB). Despite the growing numbers of disabled, there has been scant evidence available on disability outcomes, which could be potentially used to inform relevant policy and motivate appropriate accessibility legislation surrounding disability outcomes. This study therefore utilises an exploratory approach to provide such insights, and is intended to be of particular value in setting a strong foundation for identifying avenues needing to be explored through further research. Key findings from this study include: (1) both personal and household income are lower for PwD relative to those not disabled; (2) there are positive trends for both groups with drops in the proportion of each group at the lower end of the income distribution and corresponding increases at the upper end. The percentage point changes are greater for PwD at the bottom end of the distribution, possibly signalling a relative improvement in income outcomes of this group; (3) wages or salary are the most common form of income contributor for both groups, but PwD were much more likely to receive income from ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation)/private insurance and/or the sickness and invalids benefit; (4) PwD are less likely to be employed and more likely to be unemployed or not in the labour force and; (5) PwD are generally twice as likely to have no qualifications compared to those without disabilities, regardless of survey year.

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The most important resource in any economy or organization is its human capital - that is, the collective knowledge, attributes, skills, experience, and health of the workforce. While human capital development starts in early childhood and continues through formal education, our research focuses on the next stage, which spans the full working life. At a moment when many workers are exercising greater self-determination in the job market, exploring mobility is particularly timely. To do this, we analyze a data set of de-identified job histories for approximately four million workers across the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and India.

The patterns within our data set show that moving into a new role pays off - and even more so when someone lands a new position that stretches their capabilities or better utilizes their skills. For people who start out in low-paying positions, movement is critical to boosting their lifetime earnings. Without extraordinary capabilities and luck, the entry-level retail cashier is unlikely to ever catch up to what the entry-level law associate can expect to earn over a lifetime. But if she is able to make strategic role moves, it is possible for her to climb into a higher earnings bracket than where she started. In our data sample, roughly a third of US, German, and UK workers, and almost a quarter of Indian workers, are on a path to move up one or more quintiles in estimated lifetime earnings from their career starting points. This upwardly mobile group stands out for making more frequent and bolder role moves. However, individuals cannot make bold moves unless an employer sees their potential and takes a chance on them in hiring. The most effective way for an individual to maximize the 'experience effect' is to join an organization that prioritizes and strengthens their development.

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This study is part of the [Institute for Fiscal Studies] IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities, chaired by Angus Deaton, which aims to assemble the evidence on the causes and consequences of different forms of inequalities in the UK and the ways that they can best be reduced or mitigated. There will be two phases of work: commissioned studies and commentaries on a large number of key themes; the development of comprehensive and practical policy guidance.

This report seeks to set out the potential effects of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities in the UK. The pandemic has affected inequalities in education, training, wages, employment and health, including how these vary by gender, ethnicity, and across generations. It has also opened up new gaps along dimensions that were not previously widely considered, such as the ability to work at home. In this briefing note, we focus on two types of inequalities: first, inequalities in education and skills; second, inequalities in the labour market and household incomes. For each of these broad areas we highlight the challenges posed by inequalities between different groups and the opportunity for an integrated policy response. We examine inequalities in education and skills by gender, ethnicity, region and between people from different socio-economic backgrounds. In our analysis of inequality in labour markets and household incomes, we examine inequality across the income distribution, and again consider inequalities between the aforementioned groups.

We find evidence that three particular inequalities are likely to have risen because of the crisis: (1) income inequalities between richer and poorer households; (2) socio-economic inequalities in education and skills; and (3) intergenerational inequalities between older and younger people. The key drivers of these are the fall in employment resulting from the pandemic, which fall harder on younger and less well-educated people, and the massive decline in face-to-face learning that school children have faced. We discuss opportunities for an integrated policy response to these interrelated problems.

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The dissertation consists of the following three empirical essays concerned with the allocation and the utilisation of human capital in the German labour market which is characterised by an increasing skill supply and the recent diffusion of new mobile ICT: (1) 'Overqualification of graduates: assessing the role of family background' by Daniel Erdsiek [also published as ZEW discussion paper no. 14-130, available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 119.873]; (2) 'Dynamics of overqualification: evidence from the early career of graduates' by Daniel Erdsiek [also published as ZEW discussion paper no. 17-020, available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 134.201]; and (3) 'Mobile information and communication technologies, flexible work organization and labor productivity: firm-level evidence' by Steffen Viete and Daniel Erdsiek [also published as ZEW discussion paper no. 15-087].

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Increasing education and training is considered one means by which to reduce the extent of social exclusion and as such has been a key focus in recent public policies. This study investigates the impact of education and training on the extent of social exclusion using a measure of multidimensional social exclusion. A simulation of the effect of the COAG target relating to halving the proportion of 20-64 year olds without at least a certificate III qualification between 2009 and 2020 on the measure of multi-dimensional social exclusion is also undertaken. The study finds a clear dichotomy in the extent of social exclusion experienced between those with low levels of education (early school leavers or those with a certificate II qualification at the most) and the rest.

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This report looks at the employment outcomes of the 2015-16 graduates and the degree outcomes of the 2016-17 UK-domiciled first degree graduates from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded higher education institutions (excluding further education colleges). The report follows on from a series of reports by HEFCE which show that there are significant differences in degree outcomes and employment for different groups of students. In this report the focus is on degree and employment outcomes rather than the entire degree journey; progression and non-continuation are examined in other HEFCE publications. The focus of this analysis is to examine the differences in the proportion who gained a first or upper second class degree and graduate employment outcomes for more recent cohorts. It considers how outcomes differ according to various student characteristics measured in terms of class of degree awarded and outcome six months after graduation. It also considers the changes that have taken place since the previous reports on 2013-14 graduates.

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Rapid changes in technology make it necessary for adults of all ages to use written information in new and more complex ways. For example, learning how to operate computers, filling out complicated tax forms, and comparing price labels when shopping for groceries are just a few of the many tasks that are important parts of our lives. Every adult needs a range of literacy skills to achieve his or her personal goals, pursue a successful career, and play an active role as a citizen. High levels of literacy also enable individuals to keep pace with changing educational expectations and technologies and support the aspirations of their families.

With the recent attention on accountability measures for elementary and secondary schools, accountability in institutions of higher education has been all but overlooked. The National Survey of America's College Students (NSACS) is a study that examines the literacy of U.S. college students, providing information on how prepared these students are to continue to learn and use the skills that they will need in the years to come. Such an examination provides a valuable set of indicators of performance in higher education, informing such issues as the relationship among educational experience, literacy, and preparedness for the job market.

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The objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of individual variables and some characteristics related to spatial mobility in regional labour markets on overeducation in Spain. With this aim, we use microdata from the Spanish Budget Family Survey to estimate a logit model for overeducation probability taking into account the problem of selection bias and the presence of data of different levels (individuals and territory). The obtained results permit us to conclude that the size of local labour markets and the possibility of extending the job search to other labour markets through commuting are relevant factors to explain overeducation in the Spanish labour market. In spite of the differences in terms of labour market institutions, our results are very similar to the ones obtained for other countries.

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This publication provides data on the structure, finances and performance of education systems in the 35 OECD countries and a number of partner countries. Including more than 100 charts and tables, and links to more information on OECD's educational database, the publication presents key information on the output of educational institutions; the impact of learning across countries; access, participation and progression in education; the financial resources invested in education; and teachers, the learning environment and the organisation of schools. The 2020 edition edition includes a focus on vocational education and training, investigating participation in vocational education and training at various levels of education, the labour market and social outcomes of vocational graduates as well as the human and financial resources invested in vocational institutions. Two new indicators on how vocational education and training systems differ around the world and on upper secondary completion rate complement this topic. A specific chapter is dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goal 4, and investigates the quality and participation in secondary education.

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This article explores the association between mothers’ involvement in paid employment when their children are young and their later employment prospects. Using 17 waves of the British Household Panel Survey (1997-2007), it examines the employment trajectories of 954 women for the decade after the birth of their youngest child, asking two main questions. Do mothers who enter or return to work tend to remain in employment? And do wages and job satisfaction further down the line (when the youngest child reaches 10 years old) reflect the pathway taken? The article focuses in particular on differences between women with higher- and lower-level qualifications.

Mothers are found to be following a variety of employment pathways, with instability relatively common: more than one in three move in and out of work over the period, and this movement is just as common among mothers with higher levels of qualifications as among those with only [General Certificate of Secondary Education] GCSE-level qualifications or none at all. A stable - and longer - work history is associated with increased wages later on, but the benefits are greater for women with higher levels of qualifications, as might be predicted by human capital theory. Women who were more highly qualified, and who moved in and out of work over the decade, had an hourly wage when their youngest child was 10, which was 31 per cent lower than similar women with a stable work history; for women with few or no qualifications the corresponding figure was 10 per cent and statistically insignificant. For both groups, job satisfaction at the end of the decade was unrelated to the pathway taken.

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