An Examination Of Occupational Differences In The Returns To Labor Market Experience

Abstract

This study explores differences in the returns to labor market experience for men across occupational categories in the U.S. labor market.  Our analysis of data from the 2003 Current Population Survey indicates that an additional year of labor market experience has a significant and positive impact on the weekly earnings of white- and blue-collar workers.  However, white-collar workers in general earn higher estimated returns to experience than their blue-collar counterparts, and these differences appear to be statistically significant.