Our paper extends the literature on the determinants and impacts of financial literacy by conducting the OECD/INFE survey in two relatively low-income Asian economies—Cambodia and Viet Nam—and analyzing the determinants of financial literacy and the effects of financial literacy on savings and financial inclusion. Generally, our study corroborates the findings of studies of other countries, but uncovers some differences as well. The main determinants of financial literacy are found to be educational level, income, age, and occupational status. Both financial literacy and general education levels are found to be positively and significantly related to savings behavior and financial inclusion, and these results generally hold even when correcting for possible endogeneity of financial literacy.

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.Working papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published.

The Working Paper series is a continuation of the formerly named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers continued without interruption or change. ADBI's working papers reflect initial ideas on a topic and are posted online for discussion. Some working papers may develop into other forms of publication.

The paper analyzes the link between human capital and firm-level productivity in five Asian countries. It draws on a dataset of over 4,000 enterprises and considers both the prior educational attainment of workers and in-service training programs of enterprises. Differences between small, medium-sized, and large enterprises and between countries are also presented. The key finding is that both preservice education and in-service training are positively correlated with labor productivity. The productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is enhanced by a higher level of skills and education of the workforce, just as it is with large firms. However, there are country differences. The policy implications are that competitiveness is enhanced both by raising the general level of education in the workforce and by encouraging enterprise-based training programs.

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is senior consultant for research at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Long Q. Trinh is a research consultant at the ADBI and a researcher at the Central Institute for Economic Management in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms. Working papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published.

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