Natural Resource Booms, Human Capital, and Earnings: Evidence from Linked Education and Employment Records

Abstract

Using administrative panel data on the universe of Texas public school students, I analyze how shocks to local economic conditions affect education and employment decisions. I find that high school students at the bottom of the academic ability distribution worked and earned more in response to the fracking boom and that these earnings gains persisted through ages 24–25 despite the fact that the same students also became less likely to attend classes and graduate from high school. My results suggest that the opportunity cost of education is large for these students. (JEL H75, I21, I26, J24, J31, R23)