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Why do Parents Underinvest in their Children's Education? Evidence from China

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  • Wang, Jiyuan
  • Alessie, Rob
  • Angelini, Viola

Abstract

In this paper we study whether the presence of binding liquidity constraints and the existence of fixed costs can explain the underinvestment of parents in their children's human capital. We first incorporate these two potential mechanisms into the theoretical model of Raut & Tran (2005) and then we test their empirical relevance using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Our results show that especially fixed costs play an important role in explaining human capital underinvestment.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Jiyuan & Alessie, Rob & Angelini, Viola, 2022. "Why do Parents Underinvest in their Children's Education? Evidence from China," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1027, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:1027
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/249054/1/GLO-DP-1027.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Barro, Robert J, 1974. "Are Government Bonds Net Wealth?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(6), pages 1095-1117, Nov.-Dec..
    3. Heckman, James J. & Raut, Lakshmi K., 2016. "Intergenerational long-term effects of preschool-structural estimates from a discrete dynamic programming model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 191(1), pages 164-175.
    4. Alessie, Rob & Angelini, Viola & van Santen, Peter, 2013. "Pension wealth and household savings in Europe: Evidence from SHARELIFE," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 308-328.
    5. Oliveira, Jaqueline, 2016. "The value of children: Inter-generational support, fertility, and human capital," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 1-16.
    6. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number minc74-1.
    7. Ham, John C. & Song, Heonjae, 2014. "The determinants of bargaining power in an empirical model of transfers between adult children, parents, and in-laws for South Korea," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 73-86.
    8. Raut, Lakshmi K. & Tran, Lien H., 2005. "Parental human capital investment and old-age transfers from children: Is it a loan contract or reciprocity for Indonesian families?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 389-414, August.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Two-Sided Altruism; Human Capital; Liquidity Constraints; Fixed Costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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