PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bächli, Mirjam
AU  - Tsankova, Teodora
TI  - Free Movement of Workers and Native Demand for Tertiary Education
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0721-11805R2
DP  - 2025 Nov 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 2038--2070
VI  - 60
IP  - 6
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/6/2038.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/6/2038.full
AB  - We investigate how natives’ demand for tertiary education responds to a reform that relaxed employment restrictions for foreign workers in Switzerland. The policy change led to a sharp increase in cross-border commuting into Swiss areas close to the border. We find that enrollment in universities with a focus on applied studies rises in affected commuting zones, and this increase is driven by natives with a vocational background. Enrollment rises mostly in non-STEM fields that foster skills less transferable across countries. We show that enrollment results are consistent with a rising wage premium for tertiary non-STEM degrees.