Experience Matters: Human Capital and Development Accounting

David Lagakos, Benjamin Moll, Tommaso Porzio, Nancy Qian and Todd Schoellman

No 18602, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We use international household-survey data to document that experience-wage profiles are flatter in poorer countries than in richer countries. We find a quantitatively similar pattern when we estimate returns to foreign experience by country of origin among U.S. immigrants. The most likely explanation for both findings is that workers accumulate less human capital from experience in poorer countries. Taking this into consideration in development accounting substantially increases the role of human capital in accounting for cross-country income differences.

JEL-codes: O11 O4 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-hrm
Note: DEV EFG LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Experience Matters: Human Capital and Development Accounting (2012)
Working Paper: Experience Matters: Human Capital and Development Accounting (2012)
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