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Disentangling Treatment Effects of Polish Active Labour Market Policies: Evidence from Matched Samples

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  • Schmidt, Christoph
  • Kluve, Jochen
  • Lehmann, Hartmut

Abstract

This Paper estimates causal effects of two Polish active labour market policies – Training and Intervention Works – on employment probabilities. Utilizing data from the 18th wave of the Polish Labor Force Survey we discuss three stages of an appropriately designed exact matching procedure. The approach is illustrated using the estimated propensity score as a summary measure of balance. Distributions of pre-treatment labour market status histories show the decisive relevance of employment indicators as determinants of programme participation – a point often ignored in evaluation research. We implement a conditional difference-in-differences estimator of treatment effects based on these individual trinomial sequences of pre-treatment labour market status. Our findings suggest that Training raises employment probability, while Intervention Works seems to lead to a negative treatment effect for men. Furthermore, we find that appropriate subdivision of the matched sample for conditional treatment effect estimation can add considerable insight to the interpretation of results.

Suggested Citation

  • Schmidt, Christoph & Kluve, Jochen & Lehmann, Hartmut, 2002. "Disentangling Treatment Effects of Polish Active Labour Market Policies: Evidence from Matched Samples," CEPR Discussion Papers 3298, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:3298
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng, 2004. "Does 'Work for the Dole' Work?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2004n14, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    2. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng, 2007. "Does a Minimum Job Search Requirement Reduce Time on Unemployment Payments? Evidence from the Jobseeker Diary in Australia," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 60(3), pages 357-378, April.
    3. Núria Rodríguez-Planas & Jacob Benus, 2007. "Evaluating Active Labor Markets in Romania," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 699.07, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    4. Rodríguez-Planas, Núria, 2007. "What Works Best for Getting the Unemployed Back to Work: Employment Services or Small-Business Assistance Programmes? Evidence from Romania," IZA Discussion Papers 3051, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Betcherman, Gordon & Olivas, Karina & Dar, Amit, 2004. "Impacts of active labor market programs : new evidence from evaluations with particular attention to developing and transition countries," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 29142, The World Bank.
    6. Jekaterina Dmitrijeva, 2008. "Does Unemployed Training Increase Individual Employability? Evidence from Latvian Microdata," Documents de recherche 08-04, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    7. Maciej Bukowski & Piotr Lewandowski, 2005. "Transitions from unemployment in Poland: a multinomial logit analysis," Labor and Demography 0511008, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 19 Dec 2005.
    8. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng, 2003. "How Do Administrative Arrangements Affect Exit from Unemployment Payments? The Case of the Job Seeker Diary in Australia," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2003n27, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    9. Venetoklis, Takis, 2002. "Public Policy Evaluation: Introduction to Quantitative Methodologies," Research Reports 90, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    10. F. Alfonso Arellano, 2010. "Do Training Programmes Get The Unemployed Back To Work? A Look At The Spanish Experience," Revista de Economia Aplicada, Universidad de Zaragoza, Departamento de Estructura Economica y Economia Publica, vol. 18(2), pages 39-65, Autumn.
    11. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng & Roger Wilkins, 2013. "Does Coordination of Welfare Services Delivery Make a Difference for Extremely Disadvantaged Jobseekers? Evidence from the ‘YP-super-4’ Trial," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 89(287), pages 469-489, December.
    12. Geoff Perry & Tim Maloney, 2008. "Economic Evaluation of the Training Opportunities Programme in New Zealand," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 11(2), pages 163-185.
    13. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Miguel Malo & Fernando Muñoz-Bullón, 2008. "The Role of Temporary Help Agency Employment on Temp-to-Perm Transitions," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 138-161, June.
    14. Nuria Rodriguez-Planas† & Jacob Benus, 2007. "Evaluative Active Labor Market Programmes in Romania," Working Papers 2007-31, FEDEA.
    15. Venetoklis, Takis, 2004. "An Evaluation of Wage Subsidy Programs to SMEs Utilising Propensity Score Matching," Research Reports 106, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    16. World Bank Group, 2016. "Activation and Public Employment Services in Poland," World Bank Publications - Reports 29831, The World Bank Group.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transition; Propensity score; Active labor market policy; determinants of programme participation; exact matching;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C49 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Other
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy

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