Universidad y mercado de trabajo en Cataluña: un análisis de la inserción laboral de los titulados universitarios

Abstract

This thesis has been built on two research questions. In the first one, we asked about the social factors that determine the success achieved in the integration in the labour market of graduates in Catalonia. In the second one, we asked about the effects of the economic crisis on the integration in the labour market of this group of people. Secondary data extracted from the Interviews on Insertion in the labour market prepared by AQU Catalunya were used in the thesis. In particular, the last two surveys: one with graduates in 2003-2004 and interviewed in 2008 and the second one with graduates in 2006-2007 and interviewed in 2011, taking into account only those who graduated from state universities. To answer the questions we prepared three hypotheses. In the first hypothesis (H.1) we proposed that we would find a segmentation of the professional labour market from a two dimensions perspective: the labour market situation (H.1.1) –there being three status types: occupied, unemployed or not seeking work– and the occupational situation (H.1.2) –the characteristics of the graduates’ jobs–. This dimensionalization of the phenomenon is taken as the starting point for the formulating of the second hypothesis (H.2). It deals with the impact of the economic crisis. These hypotheses could be confronted by having two different groups who graduated in two different socio-economic moments. The second hypothesis was divided into two sub-hypotheses, one referring to the work situation of the graduates (H.2.1) and the second to their occupational situation (H.2.2). Finally, the third hypothesis (H.3) deals with the social factors that would allow us to establish the differences in the graduates’ insertion in the labour market, analyzing both the labour situation (H.3.1) and their occupational situation (H.3.2). These factors were the age, gender, the social origin, degree studied and their work during their period studying in the university. Regarding the first hypothesis, we confirmed the presence of a segmentation of the labour market only when considering the characteristics of occupations, but there was no evidence that showed a segmentation with regard to the employment situation –occupation, unemployment or inactivity– since the vast majority of graduates were working at the time of the survey. Concerning the second hypothesis, it was found the impact of the economic crisis clearly on the descent of the occupied graduates in 2011, but the characteristics of occupations among graduates who had a remunerated activity were not affected by crisis in general terms. That is, between occupied graduates we observed the same structure of segmentation mentioned in the first hypothesis between the two analyzed promotions. Finally, with respect to the third hypothesis, it was confirmed what has been found in other research: the degree of study is the variable that influences more in the determination of characteristics between graduates’ jobs. Secondly, the variable of work during studies showed results that can be interpreted as an influence of the previous career in the results obtained by the graduates once they obtain a degree. The influence of age, sex and social origin showed mixed results, but with a tendency to a low influence, regarding the logistic models applied.

Date of Award	16 Oct 2013
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Jordi Planas Coll (Director) & Sandra Fachelli Oliva (Director)