Effect of Digital Economy Development onHuman Capital Structure

Based on the panel data on 276 prefectural-level cities from 2011 to 2018,this paper uses longitudinal fixed effects models,panel threshold effects and instrumental variables to explore the relationship between digital economy development and human capital structure advancement.In addition,this paper examines how the development of the digital economy is related to human capital levels.The results show that digital economy development significantly boosts human capital structure advancement,as well as low-level and high-level human capital.However,the effect of digital economy development on midlevel human capital is not statistically significant.In terms of heterogeneity,we find that digital economy development significantly promotes human capital structure advancement in eastern and central-western regions of China,as well as in core and peripheral cities.Effects on the various levels of human capital show significant differences.Furthermore,digital economy development has a positive effect on human capital structure when industrial structure advancement is low.Past a certain threshold,however,the effect reverses.This paper suggests that each region should accelerate the development of digital infrastructure,rationally promote industrial structure advancement and boost the effectiveness of human resources to achieve high-quality economic development.

Human Capital Structural Upgrade in Catch-Up Economies: An International Comparison

Based on international comparison, this paper arrives at the following conclusions:(1) with the progress of industrialization and rising per capita GDP, successful catch-up countries will experience an upgrade from low-level human capital to highlevel human capital;(2) the leap phenomenon exists in the deepening of high-level human capital and the universalization of tertiary education is normally completed within a relatively short period of time, which has cumulative causation with high productivity;(3) most developing countries face the critical mass of human capital upgrade, excessive lowlevel human capital and slow improvement of efficiency;(4) problems of China's human capital structure are mainly reflected in the excessive secondary human capital with poor quality and insufficient accumulation of tertiary human capital. According to the patterns of human capital deepening, the fostering of human capital in the current stage determines whether China's economic transition can succeed in the coming couple of decades. In order to mitigate the potential risks of belated transition, China must proactively seek the path of human capital upgrade.