PhD defence - Sandra Pérez Rodríguez

On Tuesday, 30 June 2026, Sandra Pérez Rodríguez successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled: 

“Occupational Choice: The Role of Skills, Preferences and Expected Labour Market Returns”

This thesis examines the factors that shape occupational choices, focusing on skills, preferences, and expected labour market returns. Drawing on economic theories of human capital investment, it explores how family, culture, and labour market information influence these determinants and contribute to labour market inequality. Women and individuals with a migration background often enter occupations with poorer labour market outcomes, making occupational choice an important mechanism behind inequality.

The thesis first studies family influences through a paternity leave reform that increased fathers’ involvement in childcare. The reform improved daughters’ mathematical skills, strengthened occupation-specific preferences, and increased expectations to work in high-paying numeracy-related occupations. This thesis also investigates cultural influences using a vignette experiment on vocational education choices, showing that women from uncertainty-avoidant cultures prioritise career prospects over interests. Finally, a field experiment demonstrates that the format in which wage information is presented can shift occupational choices toward higher-paying jobs. The effect of format on occupational choice varies depending on the skills of the student.

Supervisor: Dr. Raymond Montizaan
Co-supervisor: Dr. Annemarie Künn-Nelen

Download the full thesis here.