A0194
Title: Convergence in overqualification rates across EU Countries
Authors: Maria Karantali - University of Macedonia (Greece)
Theologos Pantelidis - University of Macedonia (Greece) [presenting]
Abstract: Overeducation or overqualification is an undesirable employment situation in which an individual's qualifications exceed job requirements, and the level of education required to perform the work is lower than his/her educational background. Overeducation spurred a wide array of policy debates and studies on skills mismatch that focus on the surplus of human capital. Overqualification rates are used to investigate beta and sigma convergence across EU countries over the period 2005 to 2023. Various econometric techniques, including club convergence ones, are employed to examine convergence for the whole period under scrutiny and for two sub-periods as well. The analysis is further expanded to explore differences in overqualification rates by gender and by age groups (namely, 20-34 and 35-64). The results provide mixed evidence and multiple convergence clubs, suggesting that further policies are required to manage overeducation within the EU countries.
