IS THERE STILL A CHANCE OF FINDING A STABLE JOB? EVIDENCE FROM A UNIVERSITY IN SOUTHERN ITALY

Differing characteristics in the labour market and educational system may lead to different outcomes both in terms of the speed of finding a job and of the job’s stability. We investigate whether having occupational specific human capital, as measured by the field of study, is associated with a higher probability of finding a stable job in a labour market which is flexible as regards atypical jobs but highly protective regarding stable jobs. We apply a discrete-time hazard model, taking into account unobservable heterogeneity, to analyse the transition to a stable job of students who graduated from the University of Calabria in 2004, at one, three and five years distance. Main findings indicate that, after controlling for a wide range of characteristics, Economics and Business graduates have a lower probability of finding a stable job than graduates in Engineering, followed by those with a degree in Sciences, Political Science, and Humanities. These results confirm that, even in a deprived area, investing in occupational specific human capital can be seen as an “insurance” against the risk of unemployment or unstable jobs.