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The effect of subsidizing continuous training investments -- Evidence from German establishment data

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  • Görlitz, Katja

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of a training voucher program on establishments' investments in further training. The voucher program that was implemented in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia increased training incentives for employees in small and medium-sized establishments by reducing training costs by 50%. The estimation is based on a quasi-experimental research design exploiting variation across time, regions and establishment size. Using establishment data, I find that the share of establishments that invest in training increased by 4-6 percentage points. Training intensity and the educational structure of participants remained unaffected among those establishments investing in training.

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  • Görlitz, Katja, 2010. "The effect of subsidizing continuous training investments -- Evidence from German establishment data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 789-798, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:17:y:2010:i:5:p:789-798
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    3. Oliver Falck & Siegfried Schönherr, 2016. "An Economic Reform Agenda for Croatia: a comprehensive economic reform package prepared for the Croatian Statehood Foundation," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 70, October.
    4. Gerard J. van den Berg & Christine Dauth & Pia Homrighausen & Gesine Stephan, 2023. "Informing employees in small and medium‐sized firms about training: Results of a randomized field experiment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(1), pages 162-178, January.
    5. Görlitz, Katja & Tamm, Marcus, 2017. "Information, financial aid and training participation: Evidence from a randomized field experiment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 138-148.
    6. Konle-Seidl, Regina, 2010. "Make further vocational training pay : possibilities and limits of promoting transitions by Public Employment Services (PES)," IAB-Discussion Paper 201018, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    7. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg & Christian Jaag, 2011. "Aging and the Financing of Social Security in Switzerland," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 147(II), pages 181-231, June.
    8. repec:zbw:rwimat:061 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Wiljan van den Berge & Egbert Jongen & Karen van der Wiel, 2023. "The effects of a tax deduction for lifelong learning expenditures," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(3), pages 729-756, June.
    10. Dan A. Black & Lars Skipper & Jeffrey A. Smith & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2023. "Firm Training," CESifo Working Paper Series 10268, CESifo.
    11. Stefan Bender & Michael Fertig & Katja Görlitz & Martina Huber & Stefan Hummelsheim & Petra Knerr & Alexandra Schmucker & Helmut Schröder, 2010. "WeLL – Berufliche Weiterbildung als Bestandteil Lebenslangen Lernens – Bisherige Arbeiten und Perspektiven," RWI Materialien, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, pages 20, 08.
    12. 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.
    13. Singer, Christine & Toomet, Ott-Siim, 2013. "On government-subsidized training programs for older workers," IAB-Discussion Paper 201321, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    14. Dauth, Christine, 2016. "Do low-skilled employed workers benefit from further training subsidies?," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145533, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Schwerdt, Guido & Messer, Dolores & Woessmann, Ludger & Wolter, Stefan C., 2012. "The impact of an adult education voucher program: Evidence from a randomized field experiment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(7-8), pages 569-583.
    16. Migliavacca, Milena & Patel, Ritesh & Paltrinieri, Andrea & Goodell, John W., 2022. "Mapping impact investing: A bibliometric analysis," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    17. Eric Schuss, 2023. "Beyond windfall gains: The redistribution of apprenticeship costs and vocational education of care workers," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(359), pages 978-1002, July.
    18. Christine Dauth & Ott Toomet, 2016. "On Government-Subsidized Training Programs for Older Workers," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 30(4), pages 371-392, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Continuous training Employers Training voucher Subsidies Difference-in-difference estimator;

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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