IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bxr/bxrceb/2013-122841.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Firm Training and Labour Demand in Belgium :Does Productivity Dominate Cost Effects ?

Author

Listed:
  • Benoit Mahy
  • Mélanie Volral

Abstract

This paper models and estimates the impact of quantitative and qualitative training financed by the firm on labour demand in Belgium. It assumes profit maximising firms producing under short run monopolistic competition conditions, where training can increase labour demand through its positive net effect on labour productivity or decrease it through higher direct labour costs and wages. The estimation of our model on a panel of 17,812 firms over the period 1999- 2007 allowing to control for the potential simultaneity between training and labour demand and for time-invariant workplace characteristics reveals a small positive impact of training variables on labour demand. This suggests that productivity effects could dominate cost effects to a small extent.

Suggested Citation

  • Benoit Mahy & Mélanie Volral, 2011. "Firm Training and Labour Demand in Belgium :Does Productivity Dominate Cost Effects ?," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 54(4), pages 367-388.
    • Handle: RePEc:bxr:bxrceb:2013/122841
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/122841/1/ARTICLEMAHY-VOLRAL.pdf
    File Function: ARTICLE MAHY-VOLRAL
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wulfsberg, F., 1996. "Adjustment Costs and Dynamic Labour demand in Norwegian Manufacturing Firms," Memorandum 1996_023, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    2. Alan Barrett & Philip J. O'Connell, 2001. "Does Training Generally Work? The Returns to in-Company Training," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(3), pages 647-662, April.
    3. Edwin Leuven & Hessel Oosterbeek, 2002. "A New Approach to estimate the Wage Returns to Work-related Training," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 02-091/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    4. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    5. Acemoglu, Daron & Pischke, Jorn-Steffen, 1999. "Beyond Becker: Training in Imperfect Labour Markets," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(453), pages 112-142, February.
    6. Lorraine Dearden & Howard Reed & John Van Reenen, 2006. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Evidence from British Panel Data," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 68(4), pages 397-421, August.
    7. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number minc74-1.
    8. Davidson, Russell & MacKinnon, James G., 1989. "Testing for Consistency using Artificial Regressions," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(3), pages 363-384, December.
    9. Katz, Eliakim & Ziderman, Adrian, 1990. "Investment in General Training: The Role of Information and Labour Mobility," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 100(403), pages 1147-1158, December.
    10. Kuckulenz, Anja & Zwick, Thomas, 2003. "The Impact of Training on Earnings: Differences Between Participant Groups and Training Forms," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-57, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    11. Bassanini, Andrea & Booth, Alison L. & Brunello, Giorgio & De Paola, Maria & Leuven, Edwin, 2005. "Workplace Training in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 1640, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Wiji Narendranathan Arulampalam & Alison L. Booth, 2001. "Learning and Earning: Do Multiple Training Events Pay? A Decade of Evidence from a Cohort of Young British Men," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 68(271), pages 379-400, August.
    13. Davidson, Russell & MacKinnon, James G., 1993. "Estimation and Inference in Econometrics," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195060119.
    14. Maarten Goos & Jozef Konings, 2001. "Does Rent-Sharing Exist in Belgium ?. An Empirical Analysis Using Firm Level Data," Reflets et perspectives de la vie économique, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 65-79.
    15. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling and Earnings," NBER Chapters, in: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings, pages 41-63, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Conti, Gabriella, 2005. "Training, productivity and wages in Italy," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 557-576, August.
    17. repec:lic:licosd:19708 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Ballot, Gerard & Fakhfakh, Fathi & Taymaz, Erol, 2001. "Firms' human capital, R&D and performance: a study on French and Swedish firms," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 443-462, September.
    19. Booth, Alison L, 1993. "Private Sector Training and Graduate Earnings," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 75(1), pages 164-170, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Grit Muehler & Michael Beckmann & Bernd Schauenberg, 2007. "The returns to continuous training in Germany: new evidence from propensity score matching estimators," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 1(3), pages 209-235, November.
    2. Pfeifer, Christian & Janssen, Simon & Yang, Philip & Backes-Gellner, Uschi, 2011. "Effects of Training on Employee Suggestions and Promotions in an Internal Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 5671, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Benedikte Bjerge & Nina Torm & Neda Trifkovic, 2016. "Gender matters: Private sector training in Vietnamese SMEs," WIDER Working Paper Series 149, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Asplund, Rita, 2004. "The Provision and Effects of Company Training. A brief review of the literature," Discussion Papers 907, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    5. Hinz, Tina & Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2017. "The Effect of Regional Competition and Company-sponsored Training on the Productivity-Wage Wedge," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168292, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Rita Asplund, 2005. "The Provision and Effects of Company Training: A Brief Review of the Literature," Nordic Journal of Political Economy, Nordic Journal of Political Economy, vol. 31, pages 47-73.
    7. Giulio Pedrini, 2017. "Law and economics of training: a taxonomy of the main legal and institutional tools addressing suboptimal investments in human capital development," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 83-105, February.
    8. Berger, Johannes & Strohner, Ludwig, 2020. "Documentation of the PUblic Policy Model for Austria and other European countries (PUMA)," Research Papers 11, EcoAustria – Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Jozef Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2015. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Firm-Level Evidence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(2), pages 485-497, May.
    10. Picchio, Matteo & van Ours, Jan C., 2011. "Market imperfections and firm-sponsored training," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 712-722, October.
    11. Almeida, Rita & Carneiro, Pedro, 2009. "The return to firm investments in human capital," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 97-106, January.
    12. de Grip, A. & Sieben, I.J.P., 2003. "The Effects of Human Resource Management on workers' wages and firms' productivity," ROA Research Memorandum 9E, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    13. Anna Ruzik-Sierdzinska & Claudia Villosio & Michele Belloni & Maciej Lis & Monika Potoczna, 2013. "Age and productivity. Human Capital Accumulation and Depreciation," CASE Network Reports 0114, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    14. G. Guidetti & G. Pedrini, 2015. "Systemic flexibility and human capital development: the relationship between non-standard employment and workplace training," Working Papers wp1019, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    15. Harald U. Pfeifer, 2008. "Train to gain - The benefits of employee-financed training in Germany," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0037, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    16. Derek C. Jones & Panu Kalmi & Antti Kauhanen, 2012. "The effects of general and firm-specific training on wages and performance: evidence from banking," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 64(1), pages 151-175, January.
    17. Benedikte Bjerge & Nina Torm & Neda Trifković, 2016. "Gender matters: Private sector training in Vietnamese SMEs," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-149, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Yanick Labrie & Claude Montmarquette, 2005. "La formation qualifiante et transférable en milieu de travail," CIRANO Project Reports 2005rp-04, CIRANO.
    19. Benoit Dostie & Pierre Thomas Léger, 2014. "Firm-Sponsored Classroom Training: Is It Worth It for Older Workers?," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 40(4), pages 377-390, December.
    20. Hans Dietrich & Harald Pfeifer & Felix Wenzelmann, 2016. "The more they spend, the more I earn? Firms' training investments and post-training wages of apprentices," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0116, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Training; Labour Demand; Labour Productivity; Wage Determination; Panel Data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bxr:bxrceb:2013/122841. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Benoit Pauwels (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dulbebe.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.