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Exports and Labor Skills: The Role of Training

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  • Blyde, Juan

Abstract

An increasing number of analyses show that firms that are engaged in international trade have superior labor capabilities than their counterparts serving only the domestic market. One way to improve labor skills is by training current employees. There is, however, no empirical evidence showing how the exports of a firm respond to training programs. Using firm level data from Chile this study examines the impact of training employees on the firm’s export status. Based on a matching difference-in-differences estimator the results show that training employees can substantially increase the probability of becoming an exporter. Additional results provide details on how the effects differ by labor type, by the intensity of the labor training and whether there are cumulative effects over time. The analysis also sheds light on factors that complement training. All these issues are important to assess under what conditions labor training programs might work best with respect to trade outcomes

Suggested Citation

  • Blyde, Juan, 2016. "Exports and Labor Skills: The Role of Training," MPRA Paper 72150, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:72150
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yordanos Gebremeskel & Bupe Simuchimba & Chonzi Mulenga, 2019. "Skills Gap, Innovation, and Firms Performance in Zambia," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(8), pages 129-129, August.

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    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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