THESIS
2017
viii, 39 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm
Abstract
Occupational language exclusion means that specific language skills are a prerequisite for
occupations with high pays. This thesis exposes the phenomenon of occupational language
exclusion and examines the relations between English proficiency and earnings in Hong Kong,
where both Chinese and English are official languages. Using data from the Hong Kong Panel
Study of Social Dynamics (HKPSSD), I find that Hongkongers with higher English proficiency
earn more than those with lower English proficiency. Occupational language exclusion, measured
in terms of the percentage of individuals with English skills in each occupation, explains the
positive relationship between English proficiency and earnings. Decomposition results show that
between-occupation differentials represent the maj...[
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Occupational language exclusion means that specific language skills are a prerequisite for
occupations with high pays. This thesis exposes the phenomenon of occupational language
exclusion and examines the relations between English proficiency and earnings in Hong Kong,
where both Chinese and English are official languages. Using data from the Hong Kong Panel
Study of Social Dynamics (HKPSSD), I find that Hongkongers with higher English proficiency
earn more than those with lower English proficiency. Occupational language exclusion, measured
in terms of the percentage of individuals with English skills in each occupation, explains the
positive relationship between English proficiency and earnings. Decomposition results show that
between-occupation differentials represent the major earnings differentials between Hongkongers
with and without English skills. Furthermore, the gender pay gap narrows as people’s English
proficiency increases. Occupational language exclusion provides a new perspective to understand
relations between language proficiency and earnings.
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