Predicting the Skill Proficiency of Central European Adults: The Role of Higher Education, Work Experience, and Socioeconomic Background in Credential Societies

In this study, I use data from the PIAAC 2012 survey and instrumental variable regression to identify predictors of adult skill proficiency in three Central European countries. I find that higher education attainment and work experience are both predictive of cognitive skill proficiency, and that even after accounting for differences in socioeconomic background, higher education credentials in Central Europe capture important information about adult skills.