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Human Capital Spillovers and the Geography of Intergenerational Mobility

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  • Brant Abbott

    (Queens University)

  • Giovanni Gallipoli

    (University of British Columbia)

Abstract

We develop and estimate an equilibrium model of geographic variation in the intergenerational elasticity of earnings (IGE). The theory extends the Becker-Tomes model, introducing a production sector in which workers' human capital inputs are complements. In this setting the return to parental human capital investments is lower where skill complementarity is more intense, and this is reflected in less intergenerational persistence. We also show that education subsidies may be more desirable where skill complementarities are stronger, endogenously leading to a negative correlation between progressive public policy and IGE. Using microdata we construct location-specific measures of skill complementarity and document that patterns of geographic variation in IGE are consistent with this hypothesis. Geographic differences in skill complementarity directly account for roughly one fifth of cross-country variation in IGE, and possibly more if one allows for the indirect effect through government expenditure in public education. (Copyright: Elsevier)

Suggested Citation

  • Brant Abbott & Giovanni Gallipoli, 2017. "Human Capital Spillovers and the Geography of Intergenerational Mobility," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 208-233, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:issued:16-89
    DOI: 10.1016/j.red.2016.05.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Rainald Borck & Matthias Wrede, 2018. "Spatial and social mobility," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 688-704, September.
    2. Fu, Chao & Guo, Junjie & Smith, Adam J. & Sorensen, Alan, 2022. "Students’ heterogeneous preferences and the uneven spatial distribution of colleges," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 49-64.
    3. Irene Brunetti & Davide Fiaschi, 2021. "Occupational Mobility: Theory and Estimation for Italy," Papers 2104.01285, arXiv.org.
    4. Brant Abbott & Giovanni Gallipoli, 2018. "Human Capital Inequality: Empirical Evidence," Working Papers 2018-085, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.

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