This paper utilizes individual worker data from nine Asian countries (Japan, China, Korea, India, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia), gathered by the Japanese think tank Person Research Institute in 2019 and 2022. The study compares and examines the wage premium for workers with graduate degrees. The wage premium is defined as the additional payment received by workers who have obtained a graduate degree, reflecting the increase in wages resulting from this higher education. The analysis indicates that a portion of the wage premium can be attributed to higher wages in large firms, managerial positions, or specific industries related to the graduate degree. Additionally, we find that in some countries, the graduate degree premium is larger for women than for men. Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2022, the wage premium for women is particularly robust in Japan, China, and Korea, remaining significant even after controlling for other attributes such as employment in large firms, managerial roles, and industry sectors. Although India has the highest proportion of workers with graduate degrees among the nine Asian countries, a robust graduate wage premium is not identified to the same extent as in the aforementioned three countries.

Authors:
Mamiko Takeuchi, Aichi Gakuin University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Mamiko Takeuchi is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Aichigakuin University in Japan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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