Long–term Effects of Conscription: Lessons from the UK∗

The effect of military service on subsequent earnings has not been taken into account in the decennial debate on the abolition of military conscription in Western Europe. This paper, using a quasi–natural experiment due to the abolition of military conscription in the UK in 1960, provides evidence of the long–term effects of conscription on subsequent earnings. In particular, we explore whether the abolition of the National Service has affected subsequent earnings via the education channel influencing the demand for education of the cohorts exempt from compulsory military service or its effects are primarily due to lost labor market experience. Our findings shed light on the importance of early labor career phase on labor market outcomes. JEL Classification: J30, J31, J24, I20.