Extending the Kim (1989) model of endogenous labor specialization to an overlapping generations model with an endogenous technology choice, we show in this paper that, when the market size and the fixed costs associated with the technologies with labor specialization are small, the growth pattern of this economy depends on worker expectations. In other words, if workers expect low returns of specific human capital, they will not invest in such capital, and the economy will be eventually locked in an underdevelopment trap. On the other hand, if they expect high returns of specific human capital, they invest in such capital, and, as a result, the economy can exhibit long-run growth.
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Find related papers by JEL classification: C62 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Existence and Stability Conditions of Equilibrium D - Microeconomics E1 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models F - International Economics F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs L - Industrial Organization O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth
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