The Utilization-Adjusted Human Capital Index

Pennings, Steven

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: HUMAN CAPITAL;    LABOR MARKET UTILIZATION;    EMPLOYMENT;    HEALTH;    EDUCATION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-9375
RP-ID  :  WPS9375

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The World Bank Human Capital Index (HCI)is based on the productivity gains of future workers fromhuman capital accumulation. But in many developingcountries, a sizeable fraction of people are not employed,or are in jobs in which they cannot fully use their skillsand cognitive abilities to increase their productivity. TheUtilization-adjusted Human Capital Indices (UHCIs) adjustthe HCI for labor-market underutilization of human capital,based on fraction of the working age population that areemployed, or are in the types of jobs where they might bebetter able to use their skills and abilities to increasetheir productivity (“better employment”). The UHCIsgeneralize the growth-based interpretation of the HCI: theinverse of a country's UHCI score represents long-runGDP per capita with complete human capital and completeutilization, relative to that under the status quo. TheUHCIs are designed to complement the HCI, and not to replaceit: they have different purposes, and the challenges ofmeasuring utilization mean that the UHCIs should beinterpreted with caution for policy analysis. Bothutilization measures are available for more than 160countries, and are roughly U-shaped in per capita income,suggesting human capital is particularly underutilized inmiddle-income countries. Human capital is also underutilizedfor women: while the HCI is roughly equal across boys andgirls, female UHCIs are typically lower than those formales, driven by lower employment rates.