The Contribution of Human Capital in the EU: Are There Limits to the Potential Level of Economic Development?
Nicola Mattoscio, Iacopo Odoardi, Emiliano Colantonio

Abstract
The knowledge and skills held by knowledge workers are the main competitive source for advanced economies. In Western countries, the presence of widespread programs of education and training allows an high average level of human capital, thanks to public and private funding. In various EU contexts, however, differences in the composition of the labor force still exist, and this may help to explain the different economic path and, in particular, the response to the period of prolonged recession after the global financial crisis of 2007. If the high level of education is widespread in Europe, women still have fewer opportunities to integrate in the labor force and exploit their productivity; furthermore, in different countries there are different opportunities for young workers, which would induce more innovation. The aim of the paper is to analyse the similarities/dissimilarities among EU countries in terms of economic development, human capital and female participation in job, using a Multidimensional scaling analysis.

Full Text: PDF