How Market Access Shapes Human Capital Investment in a Peripheral Country

XREAP Working paper 2013-06

43 Pages Posted: 31 Oct 2013

See all articles by Anna Matas

Anna Matas

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Josep Raymond

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Josep-Lluís Roig

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Date Written: October 31, 2013

Abstract

Human capital endowment is one of the main factors influencing the level of development of a region. This paper analyses whether remoteness from economic activity has a negative effect on human capital accumulation and, consequently, on economic development. Making use of microdata this research proves that remoteness from economic activity has contributed to explain the divergences in the level of education observed across Spanish provinces over the last 50 years. The effect is significant even when controlling for the improvement of education supply. Nonetheless, the accessibility effect has been petering out since the 1960s due to the decreasing barriers to mobility.

Keywords: regional development, human capital, market access

JEL Classification: O10; R11; R40

Suggested Citation

Matas, Anna and Raymond, Josep and Roig, Josep-Lluís, How Market Access Shapes Human Capital Investment in a Peripheral Country (October 31, 2013). XREAP Working paper 2013-06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2347916 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2347916

Anna Matas (Contact Author)

Autonomous University of Barcelona ( email )

Plaça Cívica
Cerdañola del Valles
Barcelona, Barcelona 08193
Spain

Josep Raymond

Autonomous University of Barcelona ( email )

Plaça Cívica
Cerdañola del Valles
Barcelona, Barcelona 08193
Spain

Josep-Lluís Roig

Autonomous University of Barcelona ( email )

Plaça Cívica
Cerdañola del Valles
Barcelona, Barcelona 08193
Spain

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
39
Abstract Views
535
PlumX Metrics