Human capital is the sum of the economically usable skills, knowledge, competencies and also the behaviour and health status of the working population of an economy. The term expresses the fact that it is first and foremost education that really enables an individual to become economically productive, just as, in the same way, cultivation is necessary for the soil to be productive. In the literature, the terms human capital and human resources are sometimes used interchangeably.
12. February 2020
Human capital
This might be interesting for you...
25. March 2025 | Labour Market Policy
The unexpected effects of the German minimum wage on income equality in firms
When Germany introduced its federal statutory minimum wage of 8.50 euro in 2015, it marked a major shift in labour policy. Fast forward to 2025, and the minimum wage is now 12.82 euro. Given annual ...read more
19. February 2025 | Interviews
ELMI Policy Talk: Immigrant integration services in Germany, Sweden and Finland
How do different countries integrate immigrants? How does language training link with skills training? Do these distinct policy choices have an impact on labour market outcomes? What about the gender ...read more
9. January 2025 | Interviews
Does automation replace experts or augment expertise? The answer is yes
David Autor, Professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), gives a Special Lecture at the IAB on 15 January 2025. In this accompanying interview, he discusses the impact ...read more