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Vocational Education, Manufacturing, and Income Distribution: International Evidence and Case Studies

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  • Joshua Aizenman
  • Yothin Jinjarak
  • Nam Ngo
  • Ilan Noy

Abstract

Economic integration has brought about not only benefits and opportunities but also required adjustment, especially for the youth entering the labour force. The lower growth rates characterizing the post Global Financial Crisis era and the concerns about income inequality put to the fore the degree that better targeted investment in human capital may ameliorate the challenges facing the working poor. Using cross-country data, we find the association between the income shares of the working poor, dependence on manufacturing sector, and the availability of vocational education. Conditioning on tertiary educational attainment, improved access to better vocational education will probably contribute more than large increase in regular college attainment. Comparing the US to Germany suggests that pushing more students to BA granting colleges may no longer be the most efficient way to deal with the challenges caused by the decline in manufacturing employment affecting in particular lower-income households. We also note that a tracking of technical training and educational budget, shown in the case of Vietnam in comparison to Thailand, as well as government subsidies for reskilling of labour fource throughout their career in Singapore, is a potential explanation for their relative manufacturing competitiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Aizenman & Yothin Jinjarak & Nam Ngo & Ilan Noy, 2017. "Vocational Education, Manufacturing, and Income Distribution: International Evidence and Case Studies," NBER Working Papers 23950, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23950
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    Cited by:

    1. Fiona Carmichael & Christian K. Darko & Nicholas Vasilakos, 2022. "Well‐being and employment of young people in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam: Is work enough?," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(2), March.
    2. Xing Yi & Jinghe Zhang & Hong Yan & Lei Zhou, 2025. "Vocational education reform and corporate skilled human capital: Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(4), pages 2086-2102, June.
    3. Navid Khan & Ke Xing & Salman Mahmood, 2025. "Economic Growth through Determinants of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Pakistan: Mediating Role of Human Resource Development," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(2), pages 7061-7084, June.
    4. Yue Chen & Yuantao Jiang & Aibing Zheng & Yunzhu Yue & Zhi-Hua Hu, 2023. "What Research Should Vocational Education Colleges Conduct? An Empirical Study Using Data Envelopment Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Andrey A. Gnidchenko & Vladimir A. Salnikov, 2015. "Net Comparative Advantage Index: Overcoming the Drawbacks of the Existing Indices," HSE Working papers WP BRP 119/EC/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies

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