Social science research has emphasized early educational attainment for later economic and occupational outcomes, virtually ignoring the trend toward increased re-entry into education and vocational training among midlife workers. This project addresses the questions of (1) who returns to education in midlife, (2) what is the scheduling and shape of the educational trajectory over the life course relative to co-occurring role schedules in other domains, and (3) how does mid-life educational re-entry influence later economic and occupational states. In modeling these three processes, several alternative theoretical perspectives in stratification research will be examined. Data will be from two linked waves of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), a nationally-representative, longitudinal data set. These data contain information about past and current educational/vocational exits and entries, contemporaneous job exits and entries, spousal and household situations, and detailed individual characteristics. We also attach the 1980 Occupational Characteristics data set to assist in measuring industrial and occupational characteristics. The models will include indicators of skills important in present-day occupational structures, such as computer use, the substantive complexity of jobs, and human resource management. The models also specify industrial sectors of the economy, especially those undergoing growth and technological change. Finally, we propose to replicate key outcome models using a fourth data set, the Health and Retirement Survey, a study that targets a subset of the age group under study.
