Ali Skalli

Compensating wage differentials and shift work preferences

We study if there are compensating wage differentials paid for shift work using French matched employer–employee data for male full-time blue collar workers. There is a significant shift premium of 16% that has a significant impact on shift work choice.

AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE ON ACCESS TO, ENROLMENT IN AND FINANCE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION

Failure to achieve equitable access to university studies has contributed to turning the focus to the funding of higher education systems. This paper aims to review critically the literature assessing the effectiveness of existing financing schemes and changes in them as a means for reducing the prevalent under‐representation of students from a socially disadvantaged background. While the theoretical literature fails to be consensual with respect to the equity effects of student funding schemes, empirical studies remain scarce and inconclusive due to the lack of harmonized data that comprehensively describe the social make‐up of higher education attendees. For reasons of space, references are kept at a minimum but can be found elsewhere. 1

Student Loans and the Likelihood of Graduation: Evidence from Finnish Cohort Data

Most countries have experienced soaring enrolment rates into tertiary education. While this is beneficial both to involved students and to knowledge‐based societies, it also makes the funding issue even more crucial than it is usually seen to be. This paper presents first results from an analysis of the effectiveness of student loans as a funding strategy using unique student‐level data from Finland. The focus is on the effect of student loans on the likelihood of graduation, as well as on the socioeconomic background dimension of such an effect. We find no evidence in support of the latter effect being significant.