Robert (Bobby) Dominy

I study how community college shapes students' relationships with the labor market. My research interests include labor economics, the economics of education and human capital development, and public policy.

Working Papers

• Returns to Community College: Evidence from Minnesota (JMP)
  • There is a growing consensus that obtaining a sub-baccalaureate credential leads to increased earnings. However, it remains unclear to what degree these returns are driven by increases in productivity or labor supply. Using detailed UI data from Minnesota, I estimate the labor market returns associated with completing sub-baccalaureate credentials from community colleges. First I show that these credentials increase quarterly earnings, consistent with prior findings. I then decompose the proportion of earnings returns attributed to productivity (wages) and hours worked. More than 60% of the earnings returns to completing an associate degree are due to an increase in hours, with substantial heterogeneity by field of study. This effect is largely driven by part-time workers being pulled into full-time work. Additionally, I find that those working few hours pre-college experience little-to-no wage gains from completing a credential, with nearly all of their earnings return stemming from working more hours post-graduation. Finally, I provide descriptive evidence that suggests community college credentials help individuals who were previously hours-constrained attain full-time work.

• The Effect of Term-Time Employment on Community College Students' Labor Market Outcomes

Works-in-Progress

• The Signaling Value of an Associate Degree
• Instructor Value-Added
• Technology Adoption in the Classroom