What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

New research from Virginia Commonwealth University confirms the economic value of completing an associate degree but also unmasks the disparate labor market outcomes for workers of diverse races/ethnicities, sexes and nationalities.

Katybeth Lee, Ph.D., of the VCU School of Business and Hayley Cleary, Ph.D., of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs explored whether the economic benefits of higher education differ between individuals whose highest level of attainment is some college coursework but no degree compared with individuals who earned an associate degree.

On average, workers with an associate degree reaped more economic rewards than workers with some college education but no degree. However, in almost every category, the advantage of completing the degree was lost when the worker held at least one socially disadvantaged identity, such as race/ethnicity, sex, citizenship or nativity. That economic disadvantage was multiplied for workers who had more than one disadvantaged identity.

The authors said their findings suggest that, with an increasingly diverse workforce, more funding should be allocated to support women and non-white workers in pursuing associate degrees, particularly in high demand, high-wage fields such as nursing, information technology and management.

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