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IZA Journal of Labor & Development

Table 2 Summary statistics

From: Safety valve or sinkhole? Vocational schooling in South Africa

Variable

N

Mean

S.D.

Variable

N

Mean

S.D.

Panel A: individuals

 

Panel B: person-years

 

Female

2,927

0.55

0.50

Enrollment

   

Black

2,927

0.35

0.48

  Academic

23,997

0.37

0.48

Coloured

2,927

0.65

0.48

  Vocational

23,997

0.02

0.14

Age, Wave 1

2,927

18.1

  2.4

Wage

3,840

27,183

21,090

Literacy and numeracy z-score

2,927

-0.10

0.83

Employed

14,454

0.25

0.44

Ever enrolled in:

   

Formal job acquisition

1,297

0.28

0.45

Any vocational

2,927

0.09

0.29

Failed last grade

   

Vocational secondary

2,927

0.04

0.20

  Any program

23,997

0.30

0.46

Vocational post-secondary

2,927

0.05

0.23

  Academic

23,997

0.29

0.46

Completed schooling (years), conditional on enrollment:

  Vocational

23,997

0.01

0.10

All schooling

2,927

11.4

  1.6

Previous grades failed

   

Academic

2,927

11.3

  1.6

  Any program

23,997

0.63

0.86

Any vocational

264

0.8

  0.8

  Academic

23,997

0.62

0.85

Vocational secondary

118

0.2

  0.5

  Vocational

23,997

0.00

0.06

Vocational post-secondary

149

  0.8

  0.9

Not employed last period

23,997

0.86

0.34

Vocational enrollees ever enrolled in:

   

Previous periods employed

23,997

0.42

0.94

Academic secondary

118

0.97

0.17

Household shocks

   

Academic post-secondary

149

0.39

0.49

  All

2,015

0.16

0.37

    

  Health

2,015

0.09

0.28

    

  Financial

2,015

0.08

0.28

    

Pension-eligible grandmother

23,997

0.13

0.33

    

Pension-eligible grandfather

23,997

0.04

0.20

    

Pregnancy

14,053

0.02

0.15

    

Marriage

14,053

0.01

0.11

  1. Sample drawn from CAPS life history data: black and coloured young adults observed until at least age 18 with valid schooling histories. Other sample restrictions described in Appendix A Data definitions. Vocational secondary includes technical colleges and National Training Certificate (NTC) programs. Literacy and numeracy z-score is age-adjusted based on standardized test administered to all respondents in Wave 1. Vocational post-secondary includes universities of technology. Wage is annualized full-time equivalent based on 160 hours/month, denominated in constant South African rand (base year 2002). Wage refers to “typical” earnings on current jobs held among those not enrolled in school, regardless of current employment status. Employment restricted to periods when not enrolled in school. Formal method of job acquisition refers to responding to ad, sending CV, visiting firm, or using employment agency. Household shocks include death; serious illness or injury; job loss; major financial loss (including business failure or bankruptcy); abandonment or divorce; theft, fire or property damage; or other shock. Health shocks include death, serious illness, or injury. Financial shocks include job loss or major financial loss. “Pension-eligible grand(mother/father)” refers to co-residence with grandmother at least 60 years old or grandfather at least 65 years old, respectively. Marriage refers to event, not marital status. Marriage refers to event, not marital status. Marriage and pregnancy statistics for females only. Excludes person-years corresponding to Wave 5 for which fraudulent fieldwork suspected. Survey weights applied.
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