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Skill Certifications and Migrant Labor Market Integration: Experimental Evidence from Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Busso, Matias

    (Inter American Development Bank)

  • Gonzalez-Velosa, Carolina

    (Inter American Development Bank)

  • Muñoz-Morales, Juan

    (IÉSEG School of Management)

  • Ruiz, Juanita

    (Georgetown University)

  • Valencia, Juan

    (Inter American Development Bank)

  • van der Werf, Cynthia

    (Inter American Development Bank)

Abstract

This paper studies whether government-issued skill certification improves labor market integration when workers' skills are hard to verify. We evaluate a randomized offer of access to an occupation-specific certification program in Colombia among locals and migrants, two groups with different ex ante signaling capacity. The program certifies existing skills rather than providing training. Among locals, the offer increases employment by reducing inactivity and raises hours worked. The effects persist unevenly over time and are robust to attrition bounds and alternative outcome measures. Among migrants, estimates are less precise and provide no evidence of effects in employment, hours, or wages. The results show that a common skill certification generates different patterns of labor-market adjustment among locals and migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Busso, Matias & Gonzalez-Velosa, Carolina & Muñoz-Morales, Juan & Ruiz, Juanita & Valencia, Juan & van der Werf, Cynthia, 2026. "Skill Certifications and Migrant Labor Market Integration: Experimental Evidence from Colombia," IZA Discussion Papers 18963, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18963
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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