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Why Standard Measures of Human Capital are Misleading

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  • Hanushek, Eric A.

Abstract

After a long, dormant period, recent attention has turned to a variety of measurement issues surrounding the concept of human capital. The traditional approach of rely entirely on measures of school attainment, while convenient, is almost certainly misleading. The availability of cognitive skills measures greatly improves on these measurements, but there remains also concern about other unmeasured factors, including noncognitive skills. This paper considers alternative approaches to assessing the role of human capital on individual earnings and on economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanushek, Eric A., 2015. "Why Standard Measures of Human Capital are Misleading," KDI Journal of Economic Policy, Korea Development Institute (KDI), vol. 37(2), pages 22-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:kdijep:v:37:y:2015:i:2:p:22-39
    DOI: 10.23895/kdijep.2015.37.2.22
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    3. Roger Alejandro Banegas Rivero & Marco Alberto Nu ez Ramirez & Jorge Salas Vargas & Luis Fernando Escobar Caba & Sacnict Valdez del R o, 2019. "Landlocked Countries, Natural Resources and Growth: The Double Economic Curse Hypothesis," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 113-124.
    4. Judith Kabajulizi, 2023. "The macroeconomic implications of disease pandemics in developing countries: An application of Covid‐19 in Uganda," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1254-1286, August.
    5. Angela Daley & Min Hu & Casey Warman, 2019. "Language proficiency and immigrants’ economic integration," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 469-469, December.
    6. Sara Barcenilla-Visús & Carmen López-Pueyo, 2018. "Inside Europe: human capital and economic growth revisited," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 45(4), pages 821-847, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human Capital; Returns to Skills; Cognitive Skills; Earnings Function; Longrun Growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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