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Training, Mobility, and Wages: Specific Versus General Human Capital

Author

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  • Garloff Alfred

    (Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Department Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy, P.O. Box 10 3443, D-68034 Mannheim, Germany)

  • Kuckulenz Anja

    (Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Department Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy, P.O. Box 103443, D-68034 Mannheim, Germany)

Abstract

This paper considers training, mobility decisions and wages together to test for the specificity of human capital contained in continuing training courses. We empirically analyse the relationship between training, mobility and wages in two ways. First, we examine the correlation between training and mobility. In a second step, we consider wage effects of mobility taking training participation into account. First, we find that training participation is negatively correlated with the mobility decision and that training participation decreases the probability of individuals to change the job. Second, we find that wages are lower for job changers for the group of training participants, so wages decrease when trained individuals are mobile. Finally, training participation negatively affects the individuals’s subjective valuation of the quality of their last job change. Taken together, these results suggest that there is some specific human capital, which is incorporated into training and lost when moving between jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Garloff Alfred & Kuckulenz Anja, 2006. "Training, Mobility, and Wages: Specific Versus General Human Capital," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(1), pages 55-81, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:226:y:2006:i:1:p:55-81
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2006-0106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    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. Kuckulenz Anja & Maier Michael, 2006. "Heterogeneous Returns to Training: An Analysis with German Data Using Local Instrumental Variables," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 226(1), pages 24-40, February.
    3. Regula Geel & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2009. "Occupational Mobility Within and Between Skill Clusters: An Empirical Analysis Based on the Skill-Weights Approach," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0047, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised Mar 2011.

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