Quelle est la productivité marginale des apprentis ?

In this article we evaluate the productivity of apprentices in France and Germany. The econometric analysis is based upon two matched employer-employee datasets. The French dataset comes from two surveys conducted by INSEE, and the German one uses surveys collected by the IAB (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung). Concerning the productivity of apprentices, our econometric analysis seems to indicate that in both countries there is a structural difference between small and medium-size firms on the one hand, and large firms on the other. The difference is more pronounced in Germany where the motivation of small and medium-size firms hiring apprentices is to reduce labour costs, while hiring apprentices to invest in human capital seems to be the main motivation in large firms. Classification JEL : J24, J31