Challenge
The number of university graduates in Denmark has increased significantly over the last 10 years, but a majority of Danish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have yet to hire their first university graduate. This means that there might be large, untapped potential in the private sector.
Approach
Djøf and Akademikernes A-kasse, a trade union and an unemployment insurance fund, asked Epinion to conduct an analysis that might provide insight to what value – if any – businesses stand to gain from hiring their first graduate. Epinion conducted statistical analyses of registry data from Statistics Denmark and, through a matching model, was able to compare similar SMEs who had and had not hired their first university graduate.
Resolution
Epinion’s analysis provided Djøf and Akademikernes A-kasse with numerical evidence that recruitment of a university graduate positively affects productivity and development in businesses. Djøf and Akademikernes A-kasse have used the analysis as evidence that there are large socioeconomic gains to be had from more private businesses hiring their first university graduate.
