Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Luu Duc Toan Huynh
Author-X-Name-First: Luu Duc Toan
Author-X-Name-Last: Huynh
Author-Email: t.huynh@qmul.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Queen Mary University of London
Author-Name: Po Yin Wong
Author-X-Name-First: Po Yin
Author-X-Name-Last: Wong
Author-Email: po.wong@qmul.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Queen Mary University of London
Title: The Unseen Pain of the Vietnam War: Long Term Effects of Agent Orange on Labor Market Outcomes
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.
Length: 26 pages
Creation-Date: 2025-06
Revision-Date: 2026-01
Publication-Status: 
Classification-JEL: N45; J21; O15; I2
Keywords: Agent Orange; education; labour outcomes; Vietnam
File-URL: http://cgr.sbm.qmul.ac.uk/CGRWP120.pdf
Number: 120
Handle: RePEc:cgs:wpaper:120