The incidence and effects of overeducation in the U.K. graduate labour market

Research indicates that a significant proportion of the U.S. work force (between 11% and 40% of white males) have more education than is actually required for their jobs, i.e. are overeducated. We consider overeducation in the context of the U.K. graduate labour market, using a one in six sample of 1980 U.K. graduates surveyed in 1986. We find that 38% of graduates were overeducated for their first job and, even six years later (1986), 30% of...