Average faculty salaries differ widely across fields at American colleges and universities and the magnitudes of these field differences in salaries have been growing over time. What is less well known, however, is that at any point in time there are wide differences in the magnitudes of field differences in faculty salaries across academic…

After providing some background data on the number of blue-collar and white-collar employees covered by collective bargaining agreements at U.S. institutions of higher education, this study used data from a 1997-1998 study on the costs of staffing in higher education. It was conducted by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers…

Presents evidence that a trade-off exists between wages and certain characteristics of retirement systems in the public sector. Concludes that pension reform legislation in the public sector will likely have an impact on public sector wages and, therefore, careful consideration should be given to the design of such legislation. (Author/CT)

Data on employees in 168 colleges and universities were analyzed using collective bargaining coverage as an exogenous variable. Union-covered staff enjoyed a 9-11% salary premium. The union/nonunion differential was larger in two-year than four-year institutions, with no public-private differences. Where faculty were union covered, staff had an…

Data on high school students' college choice was used to estimate the effects of attending different college types on labor market outcomes. Even controlling for selection effects, there was strong evidence of a significant economic return to elite private colleges, an effect that has increased over time. (SK)

This paper tests the hypothesis that the effect of minimum wage legislation on teenagers' education decisions is asymmetrical across family income classes, with the legislation inducing children from low-income families to reduce their levels of schooling and children from higher-income families to increase their educational attainment. (Author)