Long-Term Consequences of Vietnam-Era Conscription: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings

53 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2007 Last revised: 25 Aug 2022

See all articles by Joshua D. Angrist

Joshua D. Angrist

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Stacey Chen

University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Public Policy

Date Written: September 2007

Abstract

This paper uses the 2000 Census 1-in-6 sample to look at the long-term impact of Vietnam-era military service. Instrumental Variables estimates using draft-lottery instruments show post-service earnings losses close to zero in 2000, in contrast with earlier results showing substantial earnings losses for white veterans in the 1970s and 1980s. The estimates also point to a marked increase in schooling that appears to be attributable to the Vietnam-era GI Bill. The net wage effects observed in the 2000 data can be explained by a flattening of the experience profile in middle age and a modest return to the increased schooling generated by the GI Bill. Evidence on disability effects is mixed but seems inconsistent with a long-term effect of Vietnam-era military service on health.

Suggested Citation

Angrist, Joshua and Chen, Stacey, Long-Term Consequences of Vietnam-Era Conscription: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings (September 2007). NBER Working Paper No. w13411, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1014790

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Stacey Chen

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