Uses household survey data for 18 Latin American countries to assess earnings differentials by education level and to chart 1980s changes. Introducing cost of education allows private and social rates of return to education investment to be estimated by education level, gender, employment sector, curriculum type, duration. In most countries,…

Uses data from 1984, 1989, and 1992 household surveys to investigate the earnings/education relationship in Mexico. Time-series analysis results indicate that the returns to investment in education are depressed during an economic recession and rise again as economic growth resumes. Returns to education remain high, even after significantly…