Working Paper

On Human Capital Formation with Exit Options: Comment and New Results

Panu Poutvaara
CESifo, Munich, 2006

CESifo Working Paper No. 1648

Katz and Rapoport (2005) conclude that with linear production technology and the possibility of unilateral migration, region-specific shocks may increase the average level of education. Previously, Poutvaara (2000) derived a corresponding result with Cobb-Douglas technology and migration which may go in both directions. This paper shows that the exit option may reduce human capital formation with a quadratic production technology.

CESifo Category
Labour Markets
Keywords: human capital formation, migration, economic volatility
JEL Classification: F220,I210,J240