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Measurement Error in Education and Growth Regressions

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  • Portela, Miguel

    (University of Minho)

  • Alessie, Rob

    (University of Groningen)

  • Teulings, Coen

    (Utrecht University)

Abstract

The perpetual inventory method used for the construction of education data per country leads to systematic measurement error. This paper analyses the effect of this measurement error on GDP regressions. There is a systematic difference in the education level between census data and observations constructed from enrolment data. We discuss a methodology for correcting the measurement error. The standard attenuation bias suggests that using these corrected data would lead to a higher coefficient. Our regressions reveal the opposite. We discuss why the measurement error yields an overestimation. Our analysis contributes to an explanation of the difference between regressions based on 5 and on 10 year firstdifferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Portela, Miguel & Alessie, Rob & Teulings, Coen, 2004. "Measurement Error in Education and Growth Regressions," IZA Discussion Papers 1165, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1165
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Uwe Sunde & Thomas Vischer, 2015. "Human Capital and Growth: Specification Matters," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82(326), pages 368-390, April.
    2. Christian Morrisson & Fabrice Murtin, 2009. "The Century of Education," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 1-42.
    3. Domicián MÁTÉ & Éva DARABOS & Krisztina DAJNOKI, 2016. "The Impact Of Human Capital On Labour Productivity Regarding ‘Et 2020’ Targets," Network Intelligence Studies, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 7, pages 61-67, June.
    4. Mazhar Mughal & Natalia Vechiu, 2011. "The role of Foreign Direct Investment in higher education in the developing countries (Does FDI promote education?)," Working Papers hal-01885159, HAL.
    5. Michael S. Delgado & Daniel J. Henderson & Christopher F. Parmeter, 2014. "Does Education Matter for Economic Growth?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 76(3), pages 334-359, June.
    6. Zahra Sheidaei & Mohammadnabi Shahiki Tash, 2014. "The Cumulative Effect of Human Capital on Economic Growth: Using Panel Data Method," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 17(52), pages 95-115, June.
    7. Coen Teulings & Thijs van Rens, 2008. "Education, Growth, and Income Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 89-104, February.
    8. Bas van Leeuwen & Peter Földvári, 2013. "Capital Accumulation and Growth in Central Europe, 1920-2006," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 69-93, September.
    9. Péter Földvári & Bas van Leeuwen, 2014. "Educational and income inequality in Europe, ca. 1870–2000," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 8(3), pages 271-300, September.
    10. Joachim Ragnitz & Stefan Eichler & Beate Henschel & Harald Lehmann & Carsten Pohl & Lutz Schneider & Helmut Seitz & Marcel Thum, 2007. "Die demographische Entwicklung in Ostdeutschland : Gutachten im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Technologie," ifo Dresden Studien, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 41, May.
    11. Tiago Neves Sequeira & Nuno Ferraz, 2008. "Is Education prejudiced by Country-Risk? A Panel-Data Study using Attainment Data and Country-Risk as a Rational Expectation," Working Papers de Gestão, Economia e Marketing (Management, Economics and Marketing Working Papers) e01/2008, Universidade da Beira Interior, Departamento de Gestão e Economia (Portugal).
    12. Yamarik Steven J, 2008. "Estimating Returns to Schooling from State-Level Data: A Macro-Mincerian Approach," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Yvonne McCarthy & Kieran McQuinn, 2016. "Attenuation Bias, Recall Error and the Housing Wealth Effect," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 492-517, August.
    14. Raifu, Isiaka, 2019. "Economic growth in Africa: Does gender education still matter?," MPRA Paper 92916, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Ashley, Richard A. & Parmeter, Christopher F., 2015. "When is it justifiable to ignore explanatory variable endogeneity in a regression model?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 70-74.
    16. Maté Fodor & Jean Luc De Meulemeester & Denis Rochat, 2019. "The Wavering Economic Thought About The Link Between Education And Growth," Working Papers CEB 19-006, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    17. Mazhar Yasin MUGHAL & Natalia VECHIU, 2010. "The role of Foreign Direct Investment in higher education in the developing countries (Does FDI promote education?)," Working Papers 2010-2011_10, CATT - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, revised Nov 2010.
    18. Peter Foldvari & Bas van Leeuwen, 2009. "An alternative interpretation of 'average years of education' in growth regressions," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(9), pages 945-949.
    19. Bas Van Leeuwen & Peter Foldvari, 2008. "Human Capital and Economic Growth in Asia 1890–2000: A Time‐series Analysis," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 22(3), pages 225-240, September.
    20. Tiago Sequeira & Elsa Martins, 2008. "Education public financing and economic growth: an endogenous growth model versus evidence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 361-377, September.
    21. Bergheim, Stefan, 2007. "Pair-wise cointegration in long-run growth models," Research Notes 24, Deutsche Bank Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; measurement error; growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity

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