Jhon James Mora

Sheepskin effects by cohorts in Colombia

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss sheepskin effects in Colombia based on repeated cross-section or pseudo panel data using cohorts in seven larges cities in Colombia. Design/methodology/approach - A Pseudo Panel Data methodology is used as the basis for determining and testing sheepskin effects using labor market microdata in Colombia in the time period from 1996 to 2000. Findings - Empirical evidence suggests that there are additional salary increases of 14 percent for individuals who hold a secondary degree and approximately 26 percent for holders of university degrees in Colombia. Originality/value - Testing sheepskin effects based on pseudo panel data using cohorts.

Labor Market Segmentation in Colombia Using Markov Chains

This article discusses regional labor segmentation using stochastic Markov chains. We present a formal model and derive preliminary results using the evolution of wages in Colombian urban areas. The results show that there was regional labor market segmentation in wages for university graduates during the period from 1993 to 2000, and corroborate the existence of structural changes in wages during the nineteen nineties.

Rubrics as an Evaluation Tool in Economics

Critical thinking and writing skills are necessary competencies for effective communication, problem resolution, and analysis in economics. Although there are several different approaches to evaluate critical thinking and writing skills, rubrics is an evaluation tool which provides more information than numerical grades because it establishes a set of criteria which both professors and students know and are able to evaluate jointly. Meanwhile, rubrics provide students more effective feedback about critical aspects of a given course such as the identification of problems, the quality of evidence furnished by the students, accuracy of conclusions, and objective reflection, among others.

Consistent estimation of pseudo panels in the presence of selection bias

In the presence of selection bias, traditional estimators of pseudo panel data are inconsistent. In this paper, the authors derive the conditions under which consistence is achieved in pseudo-panel estimation and propose a simple test of selection bias. Specifically, they propose a Wald test for the null hypothesis that there is no selection bias. Under rejection of the null hypothesis, the authors can consistently estimate pseudo-panel parameters. They use cross sections and pseudo-panel regressions to test for selection bias and estimate the returns to education in Colombia. The authors corroborate the existence of selection bias and find that returns to education are around twenty percent.

A cohort-based analysis of the influence of minimum wage levels on labour force participation in the informal sector : quantitative and substitution effects

This paper discuses the effect of the minimum wage on the decision to join the informal job sector. We estimated a pseudo panel of the engagement in the informal sector using an IV-probit. The findings show that an increase in the minimum wage leads to a substitution effect between young and older workers. This results show that the standards effects over the labor market in the WGM segmented model are moderate because an increase of the minimum wage doesn’t imply total mobility between sectors.

Diplomas y desajuste educativo en Cali a partir de avisos clasificados

Resumen: Este articulo analiza el desajuste educativo en la ciudad de Cali, Colombia, a partir de la evolucion de los requerimientos de diplomas reportados en los avisos clasificados publicados en El Pais, principal periodico de la ciudad. Para ello, se construye una serie de tiempo diferenciando entre aquellos avisos clasificados que exigen el diploma para acceder a un empleo y aquellos que no. Las pruebas muestran que esta serie tiene una raiz unitaria, por lo que se realiza una descomposicion que permite estimar su componente permanente y transitorio. Nuestros resultados indican que el mercado laboral caleno es bastante credencialista, ya que se exige de forma regular el diploma para acceder a un puesto de trabajo. Esta situacion incide sobre el emparejamiento en el mercado laboral y ahonda los desajustes educativos debido a que las empresas prefieren las credenciales de los trabajadores calenos

Dynamic Effects of the Minimum Wage on Informality in Colombia

Informality is a common phenomenon in developing countries and is not uncommon in industrialized societies. Although persistent aggregate rates of informal employment for a certain period of time may be indicative of low rates of employment status change among individuals, more intensive studies regarding persistent individual informal employment are needed. We used a reduced‐form dynamic pseudo panel data model approach that accounted for unobserved heterogeneity and initial conditions to present empirical evidence of the extent of persistent informality in a developing country, where education is the primary force of mitigating permanent informality. Using data from Colombia, we also provide results on the complex effect of minimum wage levels on informality. An increase in the minimum wage resulted in increased informality and increased the persistence of informality. Our results may be a basis with which to discuss the persistence of informality in other developing countries.

Persistence of Informality in a Developing Country

Informality is a common phenomenon in developing countries and an unusual one in industrialized countries. The persistence of informal employment is indicative of the impossibility of moving out of this status for a certain period of time. Using pseudo panel data, empirical evidence is presented to show that this phenomenon occurs in a developing country like Colombia where education helps mitigate said persistent occurrence. The authors also present evidence that a minimum salary increase does not only result in increased informality, but also increases the persistence of informality. This kind of evidence can be used for discussing the persistence of informality in other developing countries.