Education at a Glance. Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators

Transcription

1 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators

2 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators January 2015

3 Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators is the authoritative source for accurate and relevant information on the state of education around the world. It provides data on the structure, finances, and performance of the education systems in the 34 OECD member countries, as well as a number of G20 and partner countries. This publication is based on 2013 data collected in the first half of 2014 from the OECD-INES Network on Labour Market, Economic and Social Outcomes of Learning. It is an update of the series published in Education at a Glance 2014: OECD Indicators, released in September 2014, and will be followed by the publication of 2014 data in Education at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators. This Education at a Glance Interim Report presents updated data on three major topics: educational attainment, labour market outcomes, and the transition from school to work. Authors: Rodrigo Castañeda Valle, Simon Normandeau and Gara Rojas González. For more information on Education at a Glance and to access the full set of Indicators, visit Questions can be directed to: Gara.RojasGonzalez@oecd.org This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Note regarding data from Israel The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and are under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.

4 READER S GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS READER S GUIDE...5 CHAPTER 1 TO WHAT LEVEL HAVE ADULTS STUDIED?... 9 Trends in educational attainment: Upper secondary attainment and the impact of vocational education and training (VET) CHAPTER 2 HOW DOES EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AFFECT PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET? Labour market outcomes, by educational attainment, gender and age group Labour market outcomes among those with low qualifications Differences in labour market outcomes by programme orientation at upper secondary level Labour market outcomes among those with tertiary qualifications CHAPTER 3 TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK: WHERE ARE THE YEAR-OLDS? Expected years in education Young people in education or not, and their labour market status Young people neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) Working hours Tables Table 1.1. Educational attainment of year-olds, by gender (2013) Table 2.1. Employment rates, by educational attainment and gender (2013) Table 2.3. Unemployment rates, by educational attainment and gender (2013) Table 3.1. Expected years in education/not in education from age 15 through 29, by work status and gender (2013) Table 3.3. Percentage of year-olds in education/not in education, by age group, work status and gender (2013) Figures Chart 1.1. Educational attainment among younger and older adults (2013) Chart 1.2. Percentage of younger adults with attainment below upper secondary education, by gender (2013) Chart 1.3. Percentage of the adult population whose highest level of education is upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary, by programme orientation and gender (2013) Chart 1.4. Percentage of younger adults with tertiary education (2000 and 2013) Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

5 Chart 2.1. Employment rates among adults, by educational attainment (2013)...20 Chart 2.2. Employment and attainment rates among younger adults with tertiary education, by gender (2013) Chart 2.3. Employment rates among younger adults with attainment below upper secondary education, by gender (2013) Chart 2.4. Employment rates of the adult population whose highest level of education is upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary, by programme orientation (2013) Chart 2.5. Unemployment rates among younger adults with tertiary education, by gender (2013) Chart 3.1. Distribution of year-olds in education/not in education, by work status (2013) Chart 3.2. Percentage of year-olds neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET), by gender (2013) Chart 3.3. Number of hours worked in a week, by year-olds in education (2013) Chart 3.4. Number of hours worked in a week, by year-olds not in education (2013) Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

6 READER S GUIDE READER S GUIDE Coverage of the statistics Although a lack of data still limits the scope of the indicators in many countries, the coverage extends, in principle, to the entire national education system (within the national territory), regardless of who owns or sponsors the institutions concerned and regardless of how education is delivered. With one exception (described below), all types of students and all age groups are included: children (including students with special needs), adults, nationals, foreigners, and students in open-distance learning, in special education programmes or in education programmes organised by ministries other than the Ministry of Education, provided that the main aim of the programme is to broaden or deepen an individual s knowledge. Educational activities classified as adult or non-regular are covered, provided that the activities involve the same or similar content as regular education studies, or that the programmes of which they are a part lead to qualifications similar to those awarded in regular educational programmes. Courses for adults that are primarily for general interest, personal enrichment, leisure or recreation are excluded. Country coverage This publication features data on education from the 34 OECD member countries, two partner countries that participate in the OECD Indicators of Education Systems programme (INES), namely Brazil and the Russian Federation, and the other partner countries that do not participate in INES (Argentina, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa). Data sources for these latter eight countries are specified below the tables. The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. Calculation of international means The OECD average is calculated as the unweighted mean of the data values of all OECD countries for which data are available or can be estimated. The OECD average therefore refers to an average of data values at the level of the national systems and can be used to answer the question of how an indicator value for a given country compares with the value for a typical or average country. It does not take into account the absolute size of the education system in each country. The OECD average can be significantly affected by missing data. Given the relatively small number of countries surveyed, no statistical methods are used to compensate for this. In Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

7 READER S GUIDE cases where a category is not applicable (code a ) in a country or where the data value is negligible (code n ) for the corresponding calculation, the value zero is imputed for the purpose of calculating OECD averages. In cases where both the numerator and the denominator of a ratio are not applicable (code a ) for a certain country, this country is not included in the OECD average. The EU21 average is calculated as the unweighted mean of the data values of the 21 countries that are members of both the European Union and the OECD for which data are available or can be estimated. These 21 countries are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. For some indicators, a G20 average is presented. The G20 average is calculated as the unweighted mean of the data values of all G20 countries for which data are available or can be estimated (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States; the European Union is the 20th member of the G20 but is not included in the calculation). The G20 average is not computed if the data for China or India are not available. Classification of levels of education The classification of the levels of education is based on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 1997). ISCED 1997 is an instrument for compiling statistics on education internationally; it distinguishes among six levels of education. ISCED 1997 was recently revised, and the new International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011) was formally adopted in November This new classification will be implemented in Education at a Glance Term used in this publication Pre-primary education The first stage of organised instruction designed to introduce very young children to the school atmosphere. Minimum entry age of 3. Primary education Designed to provide a sound basic education in reading, writing and mathematics and a basic understanding of some other subjects. Entry age: between 5 and 7. Duration: 6 years. Lower secondary education Completes provision of basic education, usually in a more subject oriented way with more specialist teachers. Entry follows 6 years of primary education; duration is 3 years. In some countries, the end of this level marks the end of compulsory education. Upper secondary education Stronger subject specialisation than at lower secondary level, with teachers usually more qualified. Students typically expected to have completed 9 years of education or lower secondary schooling before entry and are generally 15 or 16 years old. ISCED classification (and subcategories) ISCED 0 ISCED 1 ISCED 2 (subcategories: 2A prepares students for continuing academic education, leading to 3A; 2B has stronger vocational focus, leading to 3B; 2C offers preparation of entering workforce) ISCED 3 (subcategories: 3A prepares students for university-level education at level 5A; 3B for entry to vocationally oriented tertiary education at level 5B; 3C prepares students for workforce or for post-secondary non-tertiary education at level ISCED 4) 6 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

8 READER S GUIDE Term used in this publication Post-secondary non-tertiary education Internationally, this level straddles the boundary between upper secondary and post-secondary education, even though it might be considered upper secondary or postsecondary in a national context. Programme content may not be significantly more advanced than that in upper secondary, but is not as advanced as that in tertiary programmes. Duration usually the equivalent of between 6 months and 2 years of full-time study. Students tend to be older than those enrolled in upper secondary education. Tertiary education Tertiary-type A education Largely theory-based programmes designed to provide sufficient qualifications for entry to advanced research programmes and professions with high skill requirements, such as medicine, dentistry or architecture. Duration at least 3 years full-time, though usually 4 or more years. These programmes are not exclusively offered at universities; and not all programmes nationally recognised as university programmes fulfil the criteria to be classified as tertiary-type A. Tertiary-type A programmes include second-degree programmes, such as the American master s degree. Tertiary-type B education Programmes are typically shorter than those of tertiarytype A and focus on practical, technical or occupational skills for direct entry into the labour market, although some theoretical foundations may be covered in the respective programmes. They have a minimum duration of two years full-time equivalent at the tertiary level. Advanced research programmes Programmes that lead directly to the award of an advanced research qualification, e.g. Ph.D. The theoretical duration of these programmes is 3 years, full-time, in most countries (for a cumulative total of at least 7 years full-time equivalent at the tertiary level), although the actual enrolment time is typically longer. Programmes are devoted to advanced study and original research. ISCED classification (and subcategories) ISCED 4 (subcategories: 4A may prepare students for entry to tertiary education, both university level and vocationally oriented; 4B typically prepares students to enter the workforce) ISCED 5 (subcategories: 5A and 5B; see below) ISCED 5A ISCED 5B ISCED 6 The glossary available at also describes these levels of education in detail. Symbols for missing data and abbreviations These symbols and abbreviations are used in the tables and charts: a c m n Data are not applicable because the category does not apply. There are too few observations to provide reliable estimates. Data are not available. Magnitude is either negligible or zero. * Values are below a certain reliability threshold and should be interpreted with caution (see the Annex for country-specific definitions). w Data have been withdrawn at the request of the country concerned. Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

9 READER S GUIDE x Data included in another category or column of the table (e.g. x(2) means that data are included in column 2 of the table). ~ Average is not comparable with other levels of education. Further resources The website is a rich source of information on the methods used to calculate the indicators, on the interpretation of the indicators in the respective national contexts, and on the data sources involved. The website also provides access to the data underlying the indicators and to a comprehensive glossary for technical terms used in this publication. All post-production changes to this publication are listed at Layout of tables In all tables, the numbers in parentheses at the top of the columns are simply used for reference. When a consecutive number does not appear, that column is available on line only. 8 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

10 To what level have adults studied? CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 1 TO WHAT LEVEL HAVE ADULTS STUDIED? The level of educational attainment shows the percentage of a population that has reached a certain level of education and holds a qualification at that level. Educational attainment is frequently used as a measure of human capital and the level of an individual s skills in other words, a measure of the skills associated with a given level of education and available in the population, and the labour force. In this sense, qualifications certify and offer information on the type of knowledge and skills that graduates have acquired in formal schooling. Higher levels of educational attainment are associated with several positive individual and social outcomes. Data in previous editions of Education at a Glance have shown that individuals with high educational attainment generally have better health, are more socially engaged, have higher employment rates and have higher relative earnings. Higher proficiency on skills such as literacy and numeracy is also strongly associated with higher levels of formal education. Individuals thus have strong incentives to pursue more education, and governments have incentives to provide appropriate infrastructure and organisation to support further progress in education of the population. Over the past decades, almost all OECD countries have seen significant increases in the educational attainment of their populations, especially among the younger generations. Chart 1.1 shows the educational attainment of younger and older adults (25-34 year-olds and year-olds) across OECD countries, distributed by three aggregated levels of education: below upper secondary, upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education. In most OECD countries more than four out of five younger adults have attained at least an upper secondary education, implying that less than 20% of them have low qualifications (below upper secondary education) (Table 1.4). Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

11 CHAPTER 1 To what level have adults studied? Chart 1.1. Educational attainment among younger and older adults (2013) year-olds and year-olds Note: Data for Japan are not displayed because disaggregation between below upper secondary education and upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary level is not available. 1. Year of reference Year of reference Countries are ranked in ascending order of the proportion of year-olds with attainment below upper secondary education. Source: OECD. Table 1.4. See Annex for notes ( At the other end of the education spectrum, on average across OECD countries, 40% of younger adults have attained a tertiary qualification. National differences are wide around this average: in Canada, Ireland, Japan and Korea, the majority of young adults hold a tertiary qualification, while it is the case for less than 30% in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Turkey and the partner countries Brazil and Colombia. It should be noted that Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Slovak Republic have extensive upper secondary vocational systems, resulting in 60% or more of their young adult populations attaining upper secondary education and low proportions with less than an upper secondary education (11%, 6%, 13% and 6% respectively). Therefore, these countries belong to the group with low proportions of young adults with low skills, while Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Turkey have some of the highest proportions of younger adults with low qualifications (Chart 1.1). Trends in educational attainment: Between 2000 and 2013, upper secondary (or post-secondary non-tertiary) and tertiary qualifications gained more and more terrain across OECD countries which means that the proportion of the population with only a below upper secondary education is shrinking. On average across the OECD, the proportion of adults aged 25 to 64 who have not attained an upper secondary education decreased by about 11 percentage points between 2000 and During this period the proportion decreased from more than one third of all adults (34%) in 2000 to less than one fourth (23%) in Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

12 To what level have adults studied? CHAPTER 1 As the proportion of the population with only a below upper secondary education decreased between 2000 and 2013, the proportion of the population attaining tertiary education (including advanced research programmes) increased, growing by about 10 percentage points. In 2013, about one in three adults (33%) in OECD countries, on average, held a tertiary qualification (Table 1.4). The expansion of tertiary education attainment is largely due to younger generations studying longer than older generations. Between 2000 and 2013, the proportion of younger adults (25-34 year-olds) with tertiary qualifications was consistently higher than older adults (55-64 year-olds) with tertiary qualifications. Moreover, on average across OECD countries the younger adults kept increasing their attainment levels throughout this period. In 2000, tertiary qualifications were held by 26% of those aged years-old, while only 15% of years-old held such qualifications. By 2013, the proportion of older adults with tertiary qualifications increased by about 9 percentage points since 2000 while it increased by 14 percentage points among younger adults, reaching on average 24% for older adults and 40% for younger adults. Among OECD and partner countries with data for all years, the proportion of the younger adults with tertiary qualifications increased from 2000 to 2013 (Table 1.4). A generational change is also seen among adults with low levels of education: in 2013, on average across OECD countries, only 17% of younger adults (25-34 year-olds) have not attained upper secondary level, compared to 34% of older adults (55-64 year-olds). In 2000, many countries had over half of their older adults with below upper secondary education. By 2013 the gap for those with below upper secondary education between older and younger adults was over 20 percentage points in Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey. While progress has been made across all countries, even now, the five OECD countries (Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Turkey) with the highest proportion of older adults with low qualifications are also those with the highest share of younger adults with low qualifications. In Portugal and Spain, the proportion of young adults with low qualifications is more than 30%, and in Mexico and Turkey more than half of younger adults have not attained an upper secondary qualification. Among these five OECD countries, only in Italy is the proportion of younger adults without an upper secondary qualification below 30% (Table 1.4). Overall, the decrease in the proportion of younger adults with low qualifications has been about 8 percentage points on average in OECD countries, from 25% in 2000 to 17% in Despite this dominant trend, in some OECD and partner countries, namely in Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Norway, there was an increase in the share of younger adults with low qualifications in the same period (Table 1.4). In 2013 adult men (25-64 year-olds) in most OECD countries are more likely not to have an upper secondary qualification than females, though the difference is not very large for certain countries. Nevertheless, in some countries the gender difference is above 4 percentage points for men: Brazil, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and Spain. In 2000, the picture was quite different as only Ireland had a gender difference for men above 4 percentage points, and six countries had a gender difference for women over 10 percentage points: Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Korea and the United Kingdom (Table 1.4). Chart 1.2 shows that, on average across countries, 18% of younger men (25-34 year-olds) have not attained an upper secondary education while the percentage among younger women is 15%. In Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia and Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

13 CHAPTER 1 To what level have adults studied? Norway the gender difference across younger adults is wider than 5 percentage points, and in Portugal and Spain it is larger than 10 percentage points. The opposite situation is found in Turkey where the proportion of younger women who have not attained upper secondary is about 10 percentage points higher than that of younger men (Table 1.4). Chart 1.2. Percentage of younger adults with attainment below upper secondary education, by gender (2013) year-olds Note: Data for Japan are not displayed because disaggregation between below upper secondary education and upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary level is not available. 1. Year of reference Year of reference Countries are ranked in descending order of the difference in the proportion of year-old men with attainment below upper secondary education and the proportion of year-old women with attainment below upper secondary education. Source: OECD. Table 1.4. See Annex for notes ( Upper secondary attainment and the impact of vocational education and training (VET) Despite the expansion of tertiary education attainment levels, upper secondary education is still the most commonly attained level of education in most OECD countries: more adults (25-64 year-olds) have attained upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education as their highest level of education than have attained any other level of education (on average, about 44%). In Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and the Slovak Republic, more than 60% of adults have attained this level of education as their highest level of attainment (Table 1.2). Upper secondary education across OECD countries is mainly divided into two types of programmes: i) programmes defined as general which are often designed for preparing students for further education, and ii) programmes geared towards vocational education and training (VET). The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-1997) defines VET as education which is mainly designed to lead participants to acquire the practical skills, know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades. Successful completion of such programmes leads to a 12 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

14 To what level have adults studied? CHAPTER 1 labour-market relevant vocational qualification recognised by the competent authorities in the country in which it is obtained (UNESCO, 1997). There are substantial differences across OECD countries in the attainment of vocational qualifications. Overall, while at least one in two adults in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, have attained vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary qualifications as the highest level of attainment, in Israel, Spain and Turkey, this proportion is less than one in ten (Table 1.2). Chart 1.3. Percentage of the adult population whose highest level of education is upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary, by programme orientation and gender (2013) year-olds Note: Disaggregated information on vocational and general programmes is not available and it is therefore not displayed for the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. 1. Year of reference Countries are ranked in ascending order of the proportion of adult women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education as highest level of attainment. Source: OECD. Table 1.2. See Annex for notes ( Chart 1.3 shows that vocational qualifications at the upper secondary or post-secondary nontertiary level are more commonly found among men than among women. On average across OECD countries, about 37% of men and 31% of women hold this type of qualification. It is also more likely that men have an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary qualification (either general or vocational) as their highest level of attainment compared with women: about 47% of men have this type of qualification whereas 42% of women do. In Australia, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Slovenia and the Russian Federation, the difference between the genders is much higher than the average about 10 percentage points or more. Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

15 CHAPTER 1 To what level have adults studied? Only in Germany and Switzerland is the tendency different, and more women than men have an upper secondary qualification as their highest level of education attained (Table 1.2). The percentages of younger adults in Mexico (23%) and Spain (24%) with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are lower than the percentages with below upper secondary or tertiary educations. In Spain, even the percentage of all adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education (22%) is lower than for other attainment levels. In Mexico, the majority of the young adult population (52%) does not reach upper secondary education and therefore their percentages with higher qualifications are lower. In Spain, 41% of younger adults have attained tertiary education, while 35% have not attained an upper secondary qualification. It seems that young Spanish adults who finish upper secondary education are more likely to continue into tertiary education (Table 1.4). Tertiary attainment As mentioned above, at tertiary level the generational change between younger and older adults is significant. In OECD and partner countries, the share of younger adults with tertiary qualifications is higher than that of older adults with that type of qualification in all countries, with the sole exception of Israel. On average, the difference in attainment at this level is about 15 percentage points, and ranges from about two percentage points in Germany to more than 50 in Korea (Table 1.2). Chart 1.4. Percentage of younger adults with tertiary education (2000 and 2013) year-olds Note: Data for Brazil, Colombia, Israel and the Russian Federation are not presented in this chart because data were not available for year Countries are ranked in descending order of the difference in the proportion of tertiary educated year-olds in the year 2013 and the proportion of tertiary educated year-olds in the year Source: OECD. Table 1.4. See Annex for notes ( In addition, the gender gap in attainment rates is the opposite between the older and the younger generations. On average, a significantly higher proportion of year-old women has attained tertiary education than is the case for men of the same age (46% and 35% 14 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

16 To what level have adults studied? CHAPTER 1 respectively), while the opposite is true for year-old women and men (24% and 26% respectively). Chart 1.4 shows that from 2000 to 2013, on average, the percentage of younger adults with tertiary education increased by 14 percentage points. The increase was lowest in Finland and Germany (less than five percentage points) and 25 percentage points or more in Korea, Luxembourg and Poland (Table 1.4). In Australia, Estonia, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, at least one in two young women (25-34 year-olds) has a tertiary education, and in Canada, Japan, Korea and the Russian Federation more than 60% have a tertiary education. The picture is quite different among young men however: only in Japan and Korea have more than one in two men attained a tertiary education (Table 1.3). Overall, the data in this section show that higher education opportunities have expanded across OECD education systems in recent years. More and more individuals have completed higher levels of education. The human capital stock in OECD countries has constantly been growing since 2000 and has reached new peaks every year. This growth is mainly driven by higher levels of education among the young cohorts. Definitions Age groups: adults refers to year-olds; younger adults refers to year-olds; older adults refers to year-olds. Levels of education: below upper secondary corresponds to ISCED levels 0, 1, 2 and 3C short programmes; upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary corresponds to ISCED levels 3A, 3B, 3C long programmes, and ISCED level 4; and tertiary corresponds to ISCED levels 5A, 5B and 6. See the Reader's Guide for a presentation of all ISCED levels. Methodology Data on population and educational attainment for most countries are taken from OECD and Eurostat databases, which are compiled from National Labour Force Surveys by the OECD LSO (Labour Market, Economic and Social Outcomes of Learning) Network. Data on educational attainment for Argentina, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa are taken from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) database on educational attainment of the population aged 25 and older. Attainment profiles are based on the percentage of the population aged 25 to 64 that has successfully completed a specified level of education. Most OECD countries include people without education (i.e. illiterate adults or people whose educational attainment does not fit national classifications) under the international classification ISCED 0 and therefore averages for ISCED 0/1 (i.e. pre-primary and primary education) are likely to be influenced. Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

17 CHAPTER 1 To what level have adults studied? Note regarding data from Israel The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and are under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. References UNESCO (1997), International Standard Classification of Education: ISCED 1997, Tables of Chapter 1 Only an extract of Table 1.1 is shown in this chapter. The full set of tables listed below is available at Table 1.1 Educational attainment of year-olds, by gender (2013) Table 1.2 Adults with upper secondary education, by programme orientation and gender (2013) Table 1.3 Table 1.4 Percentage of adults who have attained tertiary education, by type of programme, age group and gender (2013) Trends in educational attainment, by gender, age group, and average annual growth rate (2000, ) 16 Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD 2015

18 To what level have adults studied? CHAPTER 1 Table 1.1. Educational attainment of year-olds, by gender (2013) Pre-primary and primary education Lower secondary education ISCED 3C (short programme) ISCED 3C (long programme)/3b Total (men + women) Upper secondary education Tertiary education Upper secondary or post-secondary nontertiary Postsecondary non-tertiary ISCED 3A education Type B Type A Advanced research programmes (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) OECD Australia 6 18 a Austria x(2) x(8) Belgium a Canada 3 8 a x(5) x(8) Chile m m m m m m m m m Czech Republic n 7 a x(5) x(8) 20 x(8) Denmark 5 19 a 41 1 n x(8) 33 1 Estonia 1 9 a Finland 5 9 a a France 9 16 a n Germany 3 10 a Greece x(4) n Hungary 1 16 a Iceland Ireland x(5) Israel 10 5 a 7 30 a Italy 9 32 n n 16 n Japan x(5) x(5) x(5) x(5) 53 a x(8) Korea 7 9 a x(5) 41 a x(8) Luxembourg Mexico a 5 15 a 1 18 x(8) Netherlands 7 17 x(4) New Zealand x(2) Norw ay n 17 a Poland x(2) 10 a x(8) 26 x(8) Portugal x(5) x(5) 20 1 x(8) 16 3 Slovak Republic 1 8 x(4) x(5) 1 18 n Slovenia 1 13 a x(5) 58 a Spain a 9 13 n Sw eden 3 9 a x(5) Sw itzerland Turkey a 9 10 a x(8) 16 x(8) United Kingdom n a United States 4 7 x(5) x(5) 46 x(5) OECD average EU21 average Below upper secondary Partners Argentina a x(5) 28 a x(8) 14 x(8) Brazil x(5) x(5) 33 a x(8) 14 x(8) China a x(5) 14 5 x(8) 4 x(8) Colombia a x(5) 29 a x(8) India m m m m m m m m m Indonesia a x(5) 21 a x(8) 8 x(8) Latvia 1 10 x(4) n Russian Federation x(4) x(4) n Saudi Arabia a x(5) 23 5 x(8) 21 x(8) South Africa a x(5) 47 7 x(8) 6 x(8) G20 average m m m Note: Due to the lack of information for several programmes, OECD and EU21 averages have not been calculated for each column individually. Columns showing data by gender are available for consultation at: 1. Year of reference Year of reference Year of reference Year of reference Source: OECD. Argentina, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Latvia: Eurostat. See Annex for notes ( Please refer to the Reader's Guide for information concerning the symbols replacing missing data. Tertiary Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD

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20 How does educational attainment affect participation in the labour market? CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 2 HOW DOES EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AFFECT PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET? Educational attainment is frequently used as a measure of the skills available in the population and the labour force. The economies of OECD countries depend upon a sufficient supply of high-skilled workers. Due to the technological advances that have been transforming the needs of the global labour market, people with higher or specific skills are in strong demand. Since 2000 there has been a contraction of the labour markets across most OECD countries. Employment rates have been decreasing among people with all levels of education and dropped on average about two percentage points between 2000 and Likewise, unemployment rates have been increasing in the same period at all levels of education: on average about two to four percentage points between 2000 and 2013 (Tables 2.2 and 2.4). Yet in all OECD countries, as shown in Chart 2.1, people with high qualifications have the highest employment rates and in most countries, they also have the lowest risk of being unemployed. At the same time, people with the lowest educational qualifications are at greater risk of being unemployed or out of the labour market. Across OECD countries, employment rates are 83% for those with tertiary education, 73% for individuals with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education and 55% among people with qualifications below upper secondary education. Unemployment rates are 5.3% for individuals with tertiary education, 8.0% for those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education and 13.7% for those with qualifications below upper secondary education (Tables 2.2 and 2.3). Favourable employment prospects confirm the great value of attaining high levels of education: on average, 13.7% of adults with low qualifications are unemployed, while among those with tertiary qualifications only 5.3% are unemployed. For adults with below upper secondary education, the highest levels of unemployment rates are found in Greece, the Slovak Republic and Spain (above 25%) and for adults with tertiary qualifications, the highest unemployment rates are found in Greece and Spain (15% or more). These findings indicate that people with low educational attainment are at high risk of hampering their labour market prospects and self-sufficiency (Table 2.3). Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of Employment and Educational Attainment Indicators OECD