“It seems that those who often switch between different institutions tend to have a longer transition period into the labour market. It might be that many of them are pickier and spend more time browsing the job market as well,” Håkan Regnér, an economist The Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Saco), a white collar labour group, told TT.

Around a third of Swedish students change universities over the course of their educational careers. A quarter attend two institutions and around 8 percent attend three or more institutions. These moves appear to hurt their job prospects immediately following graduation.

Students who initially enrolled at in Swedish universities between 1995-1997 and attended more than one institution had around 5 percent lower salaries in 2005 than students who attended a single institution.

In 2005, for example, a “stayer” would have earned an average of 252,300 kronor ($33,000) per annum while a “mover” would have earned 233,000 kronor ($30,000).

According to Saco, the differences may be due to the fact that students who switch universities have to retake certain courses since the educational tracks can vary between institutions.

Employers may also look down on switching institutions, according to Regnér.

The study found that earnings differences between those who change universities and those who remain at a single institution decrease significantly over time.