Discussion Paper Series
Discussion Paper 104
Issued August 2006 |
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The Productivity Argument for Investing in Young Children
James J. Heckman, University of Chicago
Dimitriy V. Masterov, University of Michigan
ABSTRACT
This paper summarizes the empirical evidence on underinvestment in early education of disadvantaged youth in the U.S. Such spending is not an appropriate response given the current demographic trends. Compared to interventions for teenagers and young adults, high quality, targeted early interventions are much more effective in reducing costly problems and improving the quality of the labor force. On productivity grounds alone, they are a sound investment.
The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Early Childhood Research Collaborative.
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