The Role of Education, Health, Unemployment and

Trade Openness on the Philippines Labor

Productivity Growth: A Cross-Country Analysis
Chua, Arianne Berthina
Estrada, Alayssa Krizzia
Polendey, Cindy

Research Questions
1. What is the impact of education on the labor
productivity?
2. What is the impact of health on labor productivity
3. What is the impact of a countrys unemployment to
its labor productivity?
4. What is the impact of trade openness on the labor
productivity?
5. How does the four specified determinants of labor
productivity affect the five selected ASEAN countries?
Research Simulacrum
P2
P1
P3
P4
Propositions
Proposition1: More mean years of schooling
leads to an increased labor productivity.
(Chansarn, 2010; Umoru & Yaqub, 2013; Barro &
Lee,
2013; Qaiser & Foreman-Peck, 2007; Bloom et. al.,
2003;
Bol & Wernfhorst, 2010)

Proposition2: Higher life expectancy at birth
leads to an increased labor productivity.
(Acemoglu & Johnson, 2007; Bloom et. al, 2003;
Chakraborty, 2004; Kunze, 2014; Lorentzen,
McMillan and
Wacziarg, 2008; Rivera & Currais, 2004)
Propositions
Proposition 3: Lower unemployment rates lead to
increased labor productivity.
(Coen & Hickman, 2006; Huang & Lin, 2008; Malley &
Molana, 2008; Villaverde & Maza, 2009)

Proposition 4: Wider trade openness leads to
increased labor productivity.
(Cassiman et al., 2010; Bernard & Jensen, 2004; Wong,
2009; Helpman et.al, 2004; Yasar and Paul, 2006)

Defining Conceptual Tags

1. Mean Years of Schooling- average number of
years in educational attainment an adult has taken
up in a given year

2. Life Expectancy- measurement of the longevity of
the laborers capacity to work

3. Unemployment Rate- ratio of the number of
unemployed persons in a countrys workforce

4. Trade Openness the broadness or size of
imports and exports trading in a countrys economy

5. Labor Productivity a countrys measurement for
economic growth; quantified by the rate of output
per worker
Research Method
The econometric model used to determine
the relationship among the set of
explanatory variables and the dependent
variable was adapted from the works of
Chansarn (2010), Tripier (2006), and
Wong (2009).