Education and job match: The relatedness of college major and work

The match between a worker's education and job has received much attention in the literature. Studies have focused on the match between years of schooling and the schooling required for the job, but the quantity of schooling is only one way to consider the match between schooling and jobs. This paper considers the relationship between college majors and occupations. Data from the National Survey of College Graduates are used to examine the extent to which workers report that their work activities unrelated to the college major. What degree fields lead to greater mismatch is explored as well as the effect on the returns to schooling.