Could your star sign or the month of your birth affect how likely you are to hold down a job and what you will earn?
Yes, according to new research by no less an authority than the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), whose research was funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
But the explanation has less to do with astrology than how old you
were relative to classmates at school. Previous research published by
the IFS indicated that children born at the start of the academic year
tend to achieve better exam results, on average, than children born at
the end of the academic year.
In England, this means that children born in the autumn tend to
outperform those born in the summer. New research published today by the
IFS, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation,
shows that your date of birth also matters after schooldays. Compared
to children born in September, those born in August are 20pc more likely
to study for vocational qualifications – if they attend tertiary
education at all – and 20pc less likely to attend a Russell Group or top notch university.
Claire Crawford, a director of the IFS and one of the authors of the
report, said: “Studying for academic qualifications, attending a Russell
Group university, and believing that you have control over your own
life are all associated with a greater chance of being in work and
having higher wages later in life.
This suggests that August-born children may end up doing worse than
September-born children throughout their working lives, simply because
of the month in which they were born.”
That’s good news for children born recently – who will have the star signs Scorpio, Libra and Virgo – but less encouraging for those born in the summer – with the star signs Leo, Cancer and Gemini. Are the latter really more likely to end up as Neets; Not in Employment, Education or Training?
For my part, I have always thought astrology is nonsense. But, as a
former girlfriend pointed out: “You’re a typical Virgoan, so you would
say that, wouldn’t you?”