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Occupational Choice, Human Capital, and Financial Constraints

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Abstract

We study the aggregate productivity effects of firm-level financial frictions. Credit constraints affect not only production decisions but also household-level schooling decisions. In turn, entrepreneurial schooling decisions impact firm-level productivities, whose cross-sectional distribution becomes endogenous. In anticipation of future constraints, entrepreneurs under-invest in schooling. Frictions lower aggregate productivity because talent is misallocated across occupations, and capital misallocated across firms. In addition, firm-level productivities are also lower due to distortions induced by the schooling responses. We find that these effects combined account for about 1/5 of the U.S.-India aggregate productivity difference. Requiring the model to match schooling differences significantly amplifies the impact of frictions, and the model accounts for 58% of the aggregate productivity difference.

Suggested Citation

  • Rui Castro & Pavel Sevcik, 2016. "Occupational Choice, Human Capital, and Financial Constraints," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 20162, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
    • Handle: RePEc:uwo:hcuwoc:20162
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberto M. Samaniego & Juliana Yu Sun, 2019. "Entrepreneurship, College, and Credit: The Golden Triangle," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(7), pages 1765-1813, October.
    2. 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.
    3. Virgiliu Midrigan & Fernando Leibovici & Julio Blanco, 2017. "Human Capital and Financial Development," 2017 Meeting Papers 1187, Society for Economic Dynamics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Aggregate Productivity; Financial Frictions; Entrepreneurship; Human Capital;

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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