IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ipt/iptwpa/jrc142871.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Labour market effects of training programmes in the EU. Findings and policy lessons from a meta-analysis

Author

Abstract

This policy brief presents a meta-analysis of micro-econometric evaluations of training programmes adopted by EU countries during the 1980-2020 period. The sample used in this study comprises 379 estimates of the labour market effects of training programmes that have been extracted from 103 studies. Overall, these programmes are found, on average, to be moderately effective, but their positive impact on labour market outcomes is greater in the longer-term.

Suggested Citation

  • Di Pietro Giorgio, 2025. "Labour market effects of training programmes in the EU. Findings and policy lessons from a meta-analysis," JRC Research Reports JRC142871, Joint Research Centre.
  • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc142871
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC142871
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Biewen & Bernd Fitzenberger & Aderonke Osikominu & Marie Paul, 2014. "The Effectiveness of Public-Sponsored Training Revisited: The Importance of Data and Methodological Choices," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(4), pages 837-897.
    2. Bart Cockx & Eva Van Belle, 2019. "Waiting longer before claiming, and activating youth: no point?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(4), pages 658-687, January.
    3. Jan C. van Ours, 2000. "Do Active Labor Market Policies Help Unemployed Workers to Find and Keep Regular Jobs?," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 289, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    4. Gesine Stephan & André Pahnke, 2011. "The Relative Effectiveness Of Selected Active Labor Market Programs: An Empirical Investigation For Germany," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 79(6), pages 1262-1293, December.
    5. Cockx, Bart & Lechner, Michael & Bollens, Joost, 2023. "Priority to unemployed immigrants? A causal machine learning evaluation of training in Belgium," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Ulf Rinne & Marc Schneider & Arne Uhlendorff, 2011. "Do the skilled and prime-aged unemployed benefit more from training? Effect heterogeneity of public training programmes in Germany," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(25), pages 3465-3494.
    7. Kluve, Jochen, 2010. "The effectiveness of European active labor market programs," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 904-918, December.
    8. David Card & Jochen Kluve & Andrea Weber, 2010. "Active Labour Market Policy Evaluations: A Meta-Analysis," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(548), pages 452-477, November.
    9. Brunetti, Irene & Corsini, Lorenzo, 2014. "Workplace Training Programs: Instruments for Human Capital Improvements or Screening Devices?," MPRA Paper 55943, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Reinhard Hujer & Stephan Thomsen & Christopher Zeiss, 2006. "The effects of vocational training programmes on the duration of unemployment in Eastern Germany," AStA Advances in Statistical Analysis, Springer;German Statistical Society, vol. 90(2), pages 299-321, June.
    11. Michael Rosholm & Lars Skipper, 2009. "Is labour market training a curse for the unemployed? Evidence from a social experiment," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(2), pages 338-365, March.
    12. Bernd Fitzenberger & Stefan Speckesser, 2007. "Employment effects of the provision of specific professional skills and techniques in Germany," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 529-573, May.
    13. Kluve, Jochen & Lehmann, Hartmut & Schmidt, Christoph M., 1999. "Active Labor Market Policies in Poland: Human Capital Enhancement, Stigmatization, or Benefit Churning?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 61-89, March.
    14. Michael Lechner, 2000. "An Evaluation of Public-Sector-Sponsored Continuous Vocational Training Programs in East Germany," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 35(2), pages 347-375.
    15. Martina Bazzoli & Gianni De Fraja & Silvia De Poli & Enrico Rettore & Enrico Rettore, 2023. "Skills training programmes for unemployed workers in mature economies," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2023-07, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
    16. Thomas Andren & Daniela Andren, 2006. "Assessing the employment effects of vocational training using a one-factor model," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(21), pages 2469-2486.
    17. Lubyova, Martina & van Ours, Jan C., 1999. "Effects of Active Labor Market Programs on the Transition Rate from Unemployment into Regular Jobs in the Slovak Republic," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 90-112, March.
    18. Andersen, Signe Hald, 2011. "Exiting unemployment: How do program effects depend on individual coping strategies?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 248-258, March.
    19. Mette Foged & Linea Hasager & Giovanni Peri, 2024. "Comparing the Effects of Policies for the Labor Market Integration of Refugees," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(S1), pages 335-377.
    20. Jonas Wood & Karel Neels, 2024. "Evaluating Activation Across Institutions: The Labour Force Integration of New Migrants in Belgium," Contributions to Economics, in: Samir Amine (ed.), Public Policy Evaluation and Analysis, chapter 0, pages 179-218, Springer.
    21. Laura Juznik Rotar, 2012. "How Effective Is the Slovenian Institutional Training Program in Improving Youth's Chances of Reemployment?," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 94-106, May.
    22. Eva Kopf, 2013. "Short training for welfare recipients in Germany: which types work?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(5), pages 486-516, August.
    23. repec:iab:iabdpa:2019xx is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Conny Wunsch & Michael Lechner, 2008. "What Did All the Money Do? On the General Ineffectiveness of Recent West German Labour Market Programmes," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 134-174, February.
    25. Giesecke, Matthias & Schuß, Eric, 2019. "Heterogeneity in marginal returns to language training of immigrants," IAB-Discussion Paper 201919, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    26. Stephen Kastoryano & Bas van der Klaauw, 2022. "Dynamic evaluation of job search assistance," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 227-241, March.
    27. Burlat, Héloïse, 2024. "Everybody’s got to learn sometime? A causal machine learning evaluation of training programmes for jobseekers in France," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    28. Cockx, Bart & Van der Linden, Bruno & Karaa, Adel, 1998. "Active Labour Market Policies and Job Tenure," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 685-708, October.
    29. Núria Rodríguez-Planas & Benus Jacob, 2010. "Evaluating active labor market programs in Romania," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 65-84, February.
    30. Ulf Rinne & Arne Uhlendorff & Zhong Zhao, 2013. "Vouchers and caseworkers in training programs for the unemployed," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 1089-1127, December.
    31. Philipp Grunau & Julia Lang, 2020. "Retraining for the unemployed and the quality of the job match," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(47), pages 5098-5114, October.
    32. Massimiliano Bratti & Corinna Ghirelli & Enkelejda Havari & Giulia Santangelo, 2022. "Vocational training for unemployed youth in Latvia," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 677-717, April.
    33. Cockx, Bart, 2003. "Vocational Training of Unemployed Workers in Belgium," IZA Discussion Papers 682, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    34. José María Arranz & Carlos García-Serrano, 2024. "You’ll never seek alone: The impact of active labour market policies on finding a job," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 58(1), pages 1-19, December.
    35. Jespersen, Svend T. & Munch, Jakob R. & Skipper, Lars, 2008. "Costs and benefits of Danish active labour market programmes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 859-884, October.
    36. Caroline Hall & Inés Hardoy & Kristine Simson, 2024. "Policies for young adults with reduced work capacity. Labour market impact in Sweden and Norway," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-33, March.
    37. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Volter, Robert, 2007. "Long-run effects of training programs for the unemployed in East Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 730-755, August.
    38. repec:eme:ijmpps:v:34:y:2013:i:1:p:486-516 is not listed on IDEAS
    39. Matti Sarvimäki & Kari Hämäläinen, 2016. "Integrating Immigrants: The Impact of Restructuring Active Labor Market Programs," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(2), pages 479-508.
    40. Dahlberg, Matz & Egebark, Johan & Vikman, Ulrika & Özcan, Gülay, 2024. "Labor market integration of refugees: RCT evidence from an early intervention program in Sweden," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 614-630.
    41. Nisar Ahmad & Michael Svarer, 2009. "The Effect of Sanctions and Active Labour Market Programmes on the Exit Rate From Unemployment," Economics Working Papers 2009-14, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    42. Melvin Vooren & Carla Haelermans & Wim Groot & Henriette Maassen van den Brink, 2022. "Make IT Work: The Labor Market Effects of Information Technology Retraining in the Netherlands," De Economist, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 323-342, August.
    43. Sandra Cavaco & Denis Fougère & Julien Pouget, 2013. "Estimating the effect of a retraining program on the re-employment rate of displaced workers," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 261-287, February.
    44. Elena Cappellini & Marialuisa Maitino & Valentina Patacchini & Nicola Sciclone, 2019. "Are traineeships stepping-stones for youth working careers in Italy?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 40(8), pages 1389-1410, September.
    45. Canzian, Giulia & Meroni, Elena Claudia & Santangelo, Giulia, 2023. "Evaluation of a Flemish Active Labour Market Policy in the framework of the European Social Fund. Results and challenges," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    46. Begoña Cueto & F. Mato, 2009. "A nonexperimental evaluation of training programmes: regional evidence for Spain," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(2), pages 415-433, June.
    47. Jochen Kluve, 2014. "Youth labor market interventions," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 106-106, December.
    48. Anže Burger & Jochen Kluve & Milan Vodopivec & Matija Vodopivec, 2022. "A comprehensive impact evaluation of active labour market programmes in Slovenia," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(6), pages 3015-3039, June.
    49. Blázquez, Maite & Herrarte, Ainhoa & Sáez, Felipe, 2019. "Training and job search assistance programmes in Spain: The case of long-term unemployed," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 316-335.
    50. Popescu, Madalina Ecaterina & Roman, Monica, 2018. "Vocational training and employability: Evaluation evidence from Romania," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 38-46.
    51. Huber Martin & Lechner Michael & Wunsch Conny & Walter Thomas, 2011. "Do German Welfare-to-Work Programmes Reduce Welfare Dependency and Increase Employment?," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 12(2), pages 182-204, May.
    52. Silvia Duranti & Maria Luisa Maitino & Valentina Patacchini & Carla Rampichini & Nicola Sciclone, 2018. "What Training for the Unemployed? An Impact Evaluation for Targeting Training Courses," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 241-272.
    53. Clausen, Jens & Heinesen, Eskil & Hummelgaard, Hans & Husted, Leif & Rosholm, Michael, 2009. "The effect of integration policies on the time until regular employment of newly arrived immigrants: Evidence from Denmark," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 409-417, August.
    54. repec:iza:izawol:journl:y:2014:p:106 is not listed on IDEAS
    55. repec:bla:econom:v:63:y:1996:i:249:p:113-30 is not listed on IDEAS
    56. Eva Kopf, 2013. "Short training for welfare recipients in Germany: which types work?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(5), pages 486-516, August.
    57. Christine Dauth & Julia Lang, 2019. "Can the unemployed be trained to care for the elderly? The effects of subsidized training in elderly care," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 543-555, April.
    58. Marloes Lammers & Lucy Kok, 2021. "Are active labor market policies (cost-)effective in the long run? Evidence from the Netherlands," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1719-1746, April.
    59. Luca Mo Costabella, 2017. "Do high school graduates benefit from intensive vocational training?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(5), pages 746-764, August.
    60. Laura Larsson, 2003. "Evaluation of Swedish Youth Labor Market Programs," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 38(4).
    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. Sarah Bernhard & Thomas Kruppe, 2012. "Effectiveness of Further Vocational Training in Germany – Empirical Findings for Persons Receiving Means-tested Unemployment Benefits," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 132(4), pages 501-526.
    2. Stavros Rodokanakis, 2010. "A Non-Experimental Evaluation of Unemployment Risk in Crete and the Ionian Islands: Regional Evidence for Greece," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2010(4), pages 44-63.
    3. Rodokanakis Stavros, 2010. "The Dynamics of Regional Labour Markets and Training Programmes: Greek Evidence," European Spatial Research and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 93-115, June.
    4. Rodokanakis Stavros, 2009. "Comparing the Probability of Unemployment in Southern Greece Vis-À-Vis the Entire Country," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 12(12), pages 17-43, January.
    5. Thomas Kruppe & Julia Lang, 2018. "Labour market effects of retraining for the unemployed: the role of occupations," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(14), pages 1578-1600, March.
    6. Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos & Voucharas, Georgios, 2023. "Firm Closures and Labor Market Policies in Europe: Evidence from Retrospective Longitudinal Data," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1288, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. RODOKANAKIS, Stavros & VLACHOS, Vasileios, 2010. "A Non-Experimental Evaluation Of Education And Training In Greece: The Cases Of Northern Aegean And Crete," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 10(1).
    8. Rodokanakis, Stavros, 2010. "Comparing the Probability of Unemployment in Northern Greece vis-à-vis the Entire Country," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 137-174.
    9. Paul, Marie & Dörr, Annabelle & Fitzenberger, Bernd & Kruppe, Thomas & Strittmatter, Anthony, 2013. "The Award of a Training Voucher and Labor Market Outcomes," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79918, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Doerr, Annabelle & Strittmatter, Anthony, 2014. "Assignment Mechanisms, Selection Criteria, and the Effectiveness of Training Programs," Economics Working Paper Series 1421, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, revised May 2017.
    11. Seamus McGuinness & Philip J. O'Connell & Elish Kelly, 2014. "The Impact of Training Programme Type and Duration on the Employment Chances of the Unemployed in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 45(3), pages 425-450.
    12. Ulrike Huemer & Rainer Eppel & Marion Kogler & Helmut Mahringer & Lukas Schmoigl & David Pichler, 2021. "Effektivität von Instrumenten der aktiven Arbeitsmarktpolitik in unterschiedlichen Konjunkturphasen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 67250.
    13. Stavros Rodokanakis & Irini Moustaki, 2010. "Evaluating the risk of unemployment: comparison between the two most populated Greek regions with the entire country," IWE Working Papers 194, Institute for World Economics - Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    14. Stavros Rodokanakis, 2010. "Unemployment Risk in Southern Greece," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 13(35), pages 55-82, (1).
    15. Kelly, Elish & McGuinness, Seamus & O'Connell, Philip J., 2011. "What Can Active Labour Market Policies Do?," Papers EC1, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    16. Lechner Michael & Miquel Ruth & Wunsch Conny, 2007. "The Curse and Blessing of Training the Unemployed in a Changing Economy: The Case of East Germany After Unification," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 8(4), pages 468-509, December.
    17. Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny, 2013. "Sensitivity of matching-based program evaluations to the availability of control variables," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 111-121.
    18. Katharina Dengler, 2019. "Effectiveness of sequences of classroom training for welfare recipients: what works best in West Germany?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 1-46, January.
    19. Annabelle Doerr & Bernd Fitzenberger & Thomas Kruppe & Marie Paul & Anthony Strittmatter, 2017. "Employment and Earnings Effects of Awarding Training Vouchers in Germany," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 70(3), pages 767-812, May.
    20. Goller, Daniel & Lechner, Michael & Pongratz, Tamara & Wolff, Joachim, 2025. "Active labor market policies for the long-term unemployed: New evidence from causal machine learning," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ipt:iptwpa:jrc142871. 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: Publication Officer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ipjrces.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.