Patricio Dominguez, Krista Ruffini

Journal of Human Resources, July 2023, 58 (4) 1385-1427; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.59.2.0419-10160R2

ABSTRACT

This work examines whether additional time in elementary and secondary school affects economic well-being in adulthood. We leverage cross-municipality and cross-cohort variation in a reform that increased the Chilean school day by 30 percent between 1997 and 2010 and find that full-day schooling increased educational attainment, delayed childbearing, and increased earnings when students reached young adulthood. These findings are consistent with a human capital channel and demonstrate that large-scale investments in public education can yield long-term economic benefits.