Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/75299 
Year of Publication: 
2013
Series/Report no.: 
cege Discussion Papers No. 159
Publisher: 
University of Göttingen, Center for European, Governance and Economic Development Research (cege), Göttingen
Abstract: 
We investigate the effects of demographic change and human capital accumulation on trade and productivity of domestic firms. In so doing we integrate a micro-founded education and fertility decision of households into a model of international trade with firm heterogeneity. Our framework leads to four testable implications: i) the export share of a country increases in the education level of its population, ii) the export share of a country decreases in the birth rate of its population, iii) the average profitability of firms increases in the education level of a country, iv) the average profitability of firms decreases in the birth rate of a country. We find that all four implications are supported by empirical evidence for a panel of OECD countries from 1960 to 2010. Our results suggest that investments in human capital accumulation, especially in higher education, are an important determinant of a country's international competitiveness. Furthermore, falling birth rates need not be a serious concern with respect to productivity and international competitiveness of countries.
Subjects: 
firm heterogeneity
international competitiveness
education
fertility decline
JEL: 
F12
F14
I20
J11
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
739.48 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.