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Human Capital Acquisition and Occupational Choice: Implications for Economic Development

Author

Listed:
  • Marti Mestieri

    (Northwestern University)

  • Johanna Schauer

    (Toulouse School of Economics)

  • Robert Townsend

    (MIT)

Abstract

Using household-level data from Mexico we document patterns among schooling, entrepreneurial decisions and household characteristics such as assets, talent of household members and age of the household head. Motivated by our findings, we develop a heterogeneous-agent, incomplete- markets, overlapping-generations dynasty model. Households jointly decide over their life cycle on (i) kids' human capital investments (schooling) and (ii) parents' entry, exit and investment into alternative entrepreneurial modes (subsistence and modern). With financial constraints all of these are co-determined. A calibrated version of our model can account for the broad correlation patterns uncovered in the data within and across generations, e.g., a non-monotonic relationship between educational choices and assets across occupations, growth in profits and employment for modern firms only, and dynastic persistence across generations in education and wealth. Endogenous human capital acquisition is a key driver of inequality and intergenerational persistence. Eliminating this channel would decrease the top 10% income share by 47%. Eliminating within-period borrowing constraints would increase average household expenditure by 7.1% and benefit the middle class, reducing top and bottom expenditure shares. It would also reduce by 28% the correlation between household assets and kids' schooling levels. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Suggested Citation

  • Marti Mestieri & Johanna Schauer & Robert Townsend, 2017. "Human Capital Acquisition and Occupational Choice: Implications for Economic Development," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 151-186, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:issued:16-123
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2017.02.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Bruton, Garry & Sutter, Christopher & Lenz, Anna-Katharina, 2021. "Economic inequality – Is entrepreneurship the cause or the solution? A review and research agenda for emerging economies," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(3).
    2. Julia Fonseca & Adrien Matray, 2022. "Financial Inclusion, Economic Development, and Inequality: Evidence from Brazil," Working Papers 308, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    3. Amaral, Pedro & Rivera-Padilla, Alberto, 2024. "Cross-country income dispersion, human capital, and technology adoption," MPRA Paper 121157, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. MUSTAFA, Murtala Oladimeji Abioye & STELLA, Uwazuluonye Audu, 2023. "The Nexus between Human Capital Investment and Firm Growth of Selected Non-Financial Firms in Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(8), pages 467-481, August.
    5. Kanat Abdulla & Balzhan Serikbayeva & Yessengali Oskenbayev & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary, 2022. "Regional Differences in Human Capital and Occupational Choice: Evidence from Mexico," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(6), pages 2899-2922, December.
    6. Galina Vereshchagina, 2023. "Financial constraints and economic development: the role of firm productivity investment," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 322-342, December.
    7. Rui Castro & Pavel Ševčík, 2024. "Occupational choice, human capital and financial constraints," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(3), pages 674-703, August.
    8. Fonseca, Julia & Matray, Adrien, 2024. "Financial inclusion, economic development, and inequality: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    9. Lian Allub & Pedro Gomes & Zoë Kuehn, 2024. "Human Capital and Financial Development: Firm-Level Interactions and Macroeconomic Implications," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(659), pages 934-958.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O54 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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