The pattern is almost reversed in Table 4, with many coefficients being positive. The reason lies in the fact that, in many countries, the returns to skills flatten out considerably above the median. This can be clearly seen in the case of the Netherlands (Figure A2.p): the shape of the curve of returns to proficiency is such that returns are higher at the 90* than at the 10* percentile, but are even higher at the median, because of the slight decline that takes place after the 70* percentile.