Research on the contribution of human capital accumulation to the economic growth in three provinces of Northeast China

Based on the model of Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper measures the contribution rate of human capital accumulation by education (C_e) and higher education (C_h) for the economic growth in three provinces of Northeast China during 1990-2005. The estimation value of C_e for Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning is 11.80%, 10.26% and 10.12% respectively, and C_h is 1.40%, 1.25% and 1.55% respectively. Further analysis result shows that: both C_e and C_h of northeast China are lower than the national level and are far below the level of western countries; although compared with the 1990s, the years of education per capita and the average annual GDP growth rate of northeast region during 2001-2005 has greatly improved, C_e and C_h of three provinces have declined; C_e and C_h is influenced by the some important factors such as the degree of market competition, the correlation between higher education and economy, educational input. So in order to promote the contribution of human capital accumulation to economic growth, the three provinces of Northeast China should focus on these factors to take relevant countermeasures.