What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers. • Hacker News Board

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#21

Post by klahnako » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 3:32 AM UTC

"Europeans would look at our education system and be appalled by two things. One was that we were educating so many, which they considered to be highly wasteful. The other was that we were educating girls as much as boys."

I would have thought it was another two things: One, US high school education is poor; US graduates are one or two years behind the European graduate. Second, the US does not pay for college and university; preventing able individuals from getting a full education.

Maybe Goldin was confusing Europeans with the Church.

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#22

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 3:48 AM UTC

helveticaman wrote: post #18

glomek wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Far too many people go to college. I am convinced that many people go to college only to become employable, not because they have any academic interest to pursue. If a high school diploma actually meant that you could read and write and multiply and divide, then maybe there wouldn't be as many jobs out there requiring college degrees when all they really need are the skills you should have learned in high school.

>I am convinced that many people go to college only to become employable, not because they have any academic interest to pursue. I know this is true of business schools. B-schools don't really teach anything; they're actually a way to signal to potential employers that you could come up with the 100k and 2 years necessary to go through school, the smarts to get through admissions, the persistence to get through it, a…

[deleted]

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#23

Post by clumma » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 4:27 AM UTC

The gap is explained by the constant growth of human knowledge and the constant stasis (or even retrograde motion) of high school curricula. Thus, one must go to college to make a contribution to society.

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#24

Post by ars » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 8:05 AM UTC

noelchurchill wrote: post #3

Occasionally someone posts to HN stating they want want to drop out of high school or go straight from high school to working full time. Maybe they should read this first.

You're confusing cause and effect.

People who will succeed (make more money) are capable of going to college. College itself doesn't cause people to make more money.

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#25

Post by tomjen » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 8:23 AM UTC

klahnako wrote: post #21

"Europeans would look at our education system and be appalled by two things. One was that we were educating so many, which they considered to be highly wasteful. The other was that we were educating girls as much as boys." I would have thought it was another two things: One, US high school education is poor; US graduates are one or two years behind the European graduate. Second, the US does not pay for college and un…

As a European, I am not appalled by the fact that you educate as many girls as boys.

What makes me wonder is why you Bachelor is 4 years, will ours is only 3.

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#26

Post by ojbyrne » Thu, Jul 24, 2008, 9:35 AM UTC

mynameishere wrote: post #8

Far too many people go to college. Most of you went to decent schools, so you're probably not aware that US state schools are literally inundated by federally-subsidized mouth-breathers, who are doomed to drop out and work at Burger King, or get communications degrees and work at Burger King. A high school graduate in the 1960s could earn a middle class income through unskilled labor. This was an historical anomaly,…

I think this is conventional wisdom coming from a biased source and about 10 years out of date (at least). The premium paid to college graduates has been shrinking - I know that in Canada, there are huge shortages of "skilled trades" - meaning plumbers, electricians, welders, etc, and I know that friends of mine who have gone into those fields have done very well economically.

Re: What explains the growing gap in wages? Computers.

#27

Post by rw » Fri, Jul 25, 2008, 7:35 PM UTC

lupin_sansei wrote: post #20

rw wrote: post #2

I've often thought that subsidizing higher education would lubricate the U.S. economy.

The subsidy money has to come from somewhere (taxes and/or inflation), so you would add friction to the US economy elsewhere.

That argument would hold more water if the U.S. budget wasn't so padded with fat and wars.