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Tiernan Evans

@tiernane.bsky.social

Economics PhD Candidate (Labo(u)r/ Education/ Spatial) at LSE On the 2024-25 academic job market tiernanevans.com/

Tiernan Evans @tiernane.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Hello #EconSky! I’m Tiernan, a Labo(u)r #JMC from LSE. My research focuses on education choices, spatial inequality, and geographic mobility. 🌐 Website: www.tiernanevans.com 🧵 on my #EconJMP 👇 (1/10)

Local Labour Markets and Skill Acquisition - Tiernan Evans

Abstract: Regional inequalities in developed economies have been the subject of both a large academic literature and policy interest. Yet, little is known about the causal impact of local skill demand on the supply of skills by local students. I study this relationship in England, which has large spatial disparities; an educational system where local economic conditions have little direct impact on school funding; standardized test scores; and detailed data on outcomes by field. I use establishment-level administrative data to document the cross-sectional and panel variation in the level and field of skills demanded. I then combine this with individual-level education data to study whether local skill demand shapes local students’ educational attainment: their results; level of education; and fields of study. I document a positive cross-sectional correlation between the skills demanded in local jobs and education choices. But, using a dynamic difference-in-difference strategy, I find at most a very muted response to large increases in local demand for degrees or specific skills for subsequent cohorts of students making educational investment decisions. I discuss the implications of my findings for policies aiming to target regional inequality.

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Tiernan Evans @tiernane.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Hello #EconSky! I’m Tiernan, a Labo(u)r #JMC from LSE. My research focuses on education choices, spatial inequality, and geographic mobility. 🌐 Website: www.tiernanevans.com 🧵 on my #EconJMP 👇 (1/10)

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