Education and Labour Markets

London Economics

What we do

The Education and Labour Markets team has extensive experience of all aspects of education economics and labour market policy analysis.

Our expertise is trusted by our clients, in both the public and private sector. We consider all the work that we undertake to form the basis of a long-term relationship and many of our clients return regularly for further analysis and research.

Higher education

We utilise in-depth analysis to assess higher education fees and funding systems, as well as the impact of higher education on individuals, the Exchequer and society.

We work for:

  • Higher education institutions
  • Think tanks, unions and charities
  • Membership associations
  • Government departments

Further education & vocational training

Working with providers and policy makers, we deliver expert research and recommendations relating to the incidence and outcomes associated with apprenticeships and other vocational qualifications at all levels.

We work for:

  • Government departments
  • Qualification providers
  • Think tanks
  • Unions and charities

Secondary education

We cover all aspects of the secondary education system, including issues relating to educational attainment and child outcomes, qualification regulation, special education needs, student destinations and wider wellbeing.

We work for:

  • Government departments
  • Charities
  • Representative Associations
  • Schools

Labour markets

We apply extensive experience of quantitative analysis and our knowledge of secondary data sets to measure the impact of qualification attainment and other government policies on earnings and employment outcomes.

We work for:

  • Regulatory bodies
  • Public sector organisations
  • Training providers
  • Private companies

 

How we do it

We make use of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and approaches to answer a variety of research questions, including:

Sophisticated econometric analysis

Covering a range of methodologies such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Instrumental Variables (IV), Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Generalised Linear Models (GLM), Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD), and Fixed Effects panel estimations (FE).

Cost effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis

Identifying the monetary value associated with different policy outcomes, and comparing these economic benefits to the direct and opportunity costs associated with the policy to understand both the cost effectiveness of the policy and the relative size of the costs and benefits.

Policy evaluation and impact analysis

Isolating the net effect of a given policy, programme or project via Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) or Quasi-Experimental Designs (QED) such as Difference-in-Differences (DiD) analysis and Propensity Score Matching (PSM).

Methodological design

Proposing innovative and bespoke methodologies to approach the research question, without compromising on comprehensibility, suitability and feasibility.

Survey design and primary data collection

Comprising all elements of quantitative survey design, including questionnaire structure and content, sampling strategy and representative response weighting, as well as qualitative consultations and open-text surveying.

Secondary data cleaning, processing, and imputation

Extensive experience in preparing large-scale administrative datasets for analysis, including the use of fuzzy matching techniques and the imputation of missing data.

 

The team

Our core research team is comprised of:

Dr Gavan Conlon
Partner
[email protected]
+44 (0) 20 3701 7703

Maike Halterbeck
Divisional Director
[email protected]
+44 (0) 20 3701 7700

Pietro Patrignani
Senior Economic Consultant
[email protected]
+44 (0) 20 3701 7720

 

Su-Min Lee
Senior Economic Consultant
[email protected]

+44 (0) 20 3701 7557