Early Childhood Human Capital and Development
- (pp. 145-74)
Abstract
A growing literature stresses the importance of early childhood human capital. I ask whether variation in early childhood investments can help explain cross-country income differences. I provide new empirical evidence: the adult outcomes of refugees are independent of age at arrival to the United States up to age six, despite dramatic improvements in income and environment upon arrival. A standard model is consistent with this finding if parents but not country are important for early childhood development. This finding limits the mechanisms for generating cross-country early childhood human capital differences. I also provide suggestive evidence on parental inputs.Citation
Schoellman, Todd. 2016. "Early Childhood Human Capital and Development." American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 8 (3): 145-74. DOI: 10.1257/mac.20150117Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I24 Education and Inequality
- I26 Returns to Education
- I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
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