The impact of education level and gender on job search duration in Turkey


Creative Commons License

Aykaç Alp E., Sefil S., Sak A. K.

Kuram ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri, cilt.15, sa.2, ss.313-324, 2015 (SSCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 15 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2015
  • Doi Numarası: 10.12738/estp.2015.2.2355
  • Dergi Adı: Kuram ve Uygulamada Egitim Bilimleri
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.313-324
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Education, Job search, Job search duration, Unemployment, Vector Error Correction Model
  • İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study examines the effects of changes in unemployment rates on job search duration based on education level and gender in Turkey. Using monthly data obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute for the period January 2005 through February 2013, we investigated the relationship between job search behavior and unemployment among participants with different education levels and genders. Results show that, in general, unemployment rate negatively affected the university graduates’ probability of finding a job, though male university graduates’ probability of finding a job was affected positively from their unemployment rate. High school graduates were affected positively from an increase in the overall unemployment rate, and when females and males were examined separately, the unemployment rate of the each group showed positive effects. Considering that vocational high school graduates obtain the same degree as traditional high school graduates but are taught required skills for specific jobs, our findings differed for this group compared with traditional high school graduates showing similarities with the results for university graduates. For the illiterate group, unemployment rate was positively related to job-seeking behavior; therefore, unskilled workers found jobs easily during high unemployment periods.