The Unseen Pain of the Vietnam War: Long Term Effects of Agent Orange on Labor Market Outcomes

Luu Duc Toan Huynh () and Po Yin Wong
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Luu Duc Toan Huynh: Queen Mary University of London

No 120, Working Papers from Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research

Abstract: We examine the long-term labor market consequences of early-life exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Exploiting district-level variation in herbicide exposure intensity, we find that exposed individuals attain significantly lower levels of schooling and supply less labor, working 1.7 fewer days per month and 0.4 fewer hours per day, corresponding to a 7% reduction relative to the mean. These human capital and labor supply losses translate into substantial earnings penalties: among individuals who remain in their birth provinces, labor income is reduced by 27%. We show that while cognitive and physical health impairments-particularly physical health limitations affecting labor supply-constitute an important transmission channel, health does not fully account for the observed impacts. Early-life exposure also reduced household wealth endowments, constraining educational investments and occupational choices, with more exposed individuals less likely to engage in wage employment and more likely to work in primary industries. Finally, we document intergenerational effects, as children of exposed parents exhibit lower educational attainment and reduced labor supply. Together, these findings highlight the lasting and multigenerational economic costs of wartime chemical exposure.

Keywords: Agent Orange; education; labour outcomes; Vietnam (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I2 J21 N45 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2025-06, Revised 2026-01
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