Research shows workers who begin careers during recession suffer long-term, negative effects on earnings | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Research shows workers who begin careers during recession suffer long-term, negative effects on earnings Research shows workers who begin careers during recession suffer long-term, negative effects on earnings Published: October 04, 2010 Author: Jane Morrow For workers who have managed to land jobs in this tough economy, your employment woes may not be over. Research from the University of Notre Dame shows that individuals who begin their careers during economic downturns earn lower wages than similar workers who begin careers at other times, and that negative impact lasts five to ten years after starting work. According to Abigail Wozniak, a Notre Dame labor economist whose research has included large datasets spanning multiple business cycles, conditions known to economists as “scarring effects” have negative impacts not only on earnings, but also on long-term occupational achievement. Wozniak’s research shows that a college education doesn’t provide a buffer from the vagaries of the economy. “An important new finding,” says Wozniak, “is that these effects are just as large for college graduates as they are for workers with less education. Moreover, college graduates do not escape these effects by moving to better job markets, even though their mobility rates are higher.” Wozniak’s research will be published in the fall issue of the Journal of Human Resources. “Researchers have estimated that the wages of college graduates entering the labor market in earlier recessions have been 5 to 15 percent lower than they would have been in non-recession years – this is each year for up to a decade after starting in the labor market,” Wozniak says. This is potentially due to the greater importance of career progression for more educated workers. “A bad hand at the beginning of a game where everything is connected has lasting negative effects,” according to Wozniak. Without policymakers’ attention to these recession earnings penalties, “workers may be discouraged from undertaking higher education to increase their skills, and the consequences could reduce future skill growth in the U.S. labor force.” A member of Notre Dame’s Department of Economics since 2006, Wozniak currently is a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany. Note to Media: Wozniak’s comments may be used in whole or in part. She is available for interviews and can be reached at 574-631-6208 or a_wozniak@nd.edu. In the News Jobs pay less during recession, even for college grads WNDU-TV Beginning career in sour economy may have lasting effects WLS-AM Chicago Research Shows Impact of Recession on Career Earnings Inside Indiana Business Posted In: Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 05, 2022 Astrophysicists find evidence for the presence of the first stars October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 22, 2022 Climate-prepared countries are losing ground, latest ND-GAIN index shows For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn