The Creativity Premium: Exploring the Link between Childhood Creativity and Life Outcomes

David Gill and Victoria Prowse

Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics, 2024, vol. 2, issue 3, 495 - 526

Abstract: In this paper, we emphasize creativity as a key skill that is essential to open-ended problem solving and resistant to automation. We use rich longitudinal data to study the relationship between people’s creativity measured in childhood and their life outcomes. Childhood creativity predicts labor market and educational success: more creative individuals earn more during the course of their careers, work in higher occupational categories, and reach higher levels of educational attainment. Our analysis of attributes further suggests that creative individuals have a package of practical skills that allows them to thrive in work environments where learning from experience is important.

Date: 2024
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Working Paper: The Creativity Premium: Exploring the Link Between Childhood Creativity and Life Outcomes (2023)
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