Individualism and the Formation of Human Capital
Katharina Hartinger, Sven Resnjanskij, Jens Ruhose, Simon Wiederhold
Journal of the European Economic Association,
forthcoming
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate about the economic effects of individualism. We establish that individualism leads to better educational and labor market outcomes. Using data from the largest international adult skill assessment, we identify the effects of individualism by exploiting variation between migrants at the origin country, origin language, and person level. Migrants from more individualistic cultures have higher cognitive skills and larger skill gains over time. They also invest more in their skills over the life-cycle, as they acquire more years of schooling and are more likely to participate in adult education activities. In fact, individualism is more important in explaining adult skill formation than any other cultural trait that has been emphasized in previous literature. In the labor market, more individualistic migrants earn higher wages and are less often unemployed. We show that our results cannot be explained by selective migration or omitted origin-country variables.
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Kalifornische Inspirationen
Simon Wiederhold
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 2,
2025
Abstract
Wissenschaft lebt vom Austausch kluger Köpfe über Grenzen hinweg. IWH-Ökonom Simon Wiederhold hat vier Wochen an der Stanford University geforscht. Einblicke in eine höchst anregende Erfahrung.
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Why Is the Roy-Borjas Model Unable to Predict International Migrant Selection on Education? Evidence from Urban and Rural Mexico
Stefan Leopold, Jens Ruhose, Simon Wiederhold
World Economy,
Vol. 48 (2),
2025
Abstract
The Roy-Borjas model predicts that international migrants are less educated than nonmigrants because the returns to education are generally higher in developing (migrant-sending) than in developed (migrant-receiving) countries. However, empirical evidence often shows the opposite. Using the case of Mexico-U.S. migration, we show that this inconsistency between predictions and empirical evidence can be resolved when the human capital of migrants is assessed using a two-dimensional measure of occupational skills rather than by educational attainment. Thus, focusing on a single skill dimension when investigating migrant selection can lead to misleading conclusions about the underlying economic incentives and behavioral models of migration.
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IWH-DPE in a Nutshell
IWH-DPE in a Nutshell The IWH Doctoral Programme in Economics (IWH-DPE) is the unit that organises the education of doctoral students at the IWH in close cooperation with partner…
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Comprehensive Training Programs: CompNet and MDI Welcome to our Training Programs, designed to empower participants with the knowledge and skills needed for productivity analysis…
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Output This page provides an overview of the Output generated as part of the Microdata platform for productivity, which aims to help national productivity boards improve their…
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Micro-data Infrastructure (MDI) Training The MDI Training is a three-session program designed to equip researchers (NPBs) with the skills to effectively work with cross-country…
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