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Do Firms Benefit from Active Labour Market Policies?

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  • Lechner, Michael
  • Wunsch, Conny
  • Scioch, Patrycja

Abstract

This paper investigates the link between variation in the supply of workers who participate in specific types of active labour market policies (ALMPs) and firm performance using a new exceptionally informative German employer-employee data base. For identification we exploit that German local employment agencies (LEAs) have a high degree of autonomy in determining their own mix of ALMPs and that firms' hiring regions overlap only imperfectly with the areas of responsibility of the LEAs. Our results indicate that in general firms do not benefit from ALMPs and in some cases may even be harmed by certain programs, in particular by sub¬sidized employment and longer training programs. These findings complement the negative assessment of the cost-effectiveness of ALMPs from the empirical literature on the effects for participants.

Suggested Citation

  • Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny & Scioch, Patrycja, 2013. "Do Firms Benefit from Active Labour Market Policies?," Economics Working Paper Series 1318, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:usg:econwp:2013:18
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Annika Nivala, 2024. "(No) Effects of Subsidizing the First Employee: Evidence of a Low Take-up Puzzle Among Firms," Working Papers 23, Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research.
    2. 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.
    3. Lombardi, Stefano & Skans, Oskar Nordström & Vikström, Johan, 2018. "Targeted wage subsidies and firm performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 33-45.
    4. Patrick Arni & Gerard J. van den Berg & Rafael Lalive, 2022. "Treatment Versus Regime Effects of Carrots and Sticks," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 111-127, January.
    5. Blasco, Sylvie & Pertold-Gebicka, Barbara, 2013. "Employment policies, hiring practices and firm performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 12-24.
    6. Julia Lang, 2022. "Employment effects of language training for unemployed immigrants," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 719-754, April.
    7. Martina Lubyová & Miroslav Štefánik & Pavol Baboš & Daniel Gerbery & Veronika Hvozdíková & Katarína Karasová & Ivan Lichner & Tomáš Miklošovic & Marek Radvanský & Eva Rublíková & Ivana Studená, . "Labour Market in Slovakia 2017+," Books, Institute of Economic Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, edition 1, number 003.
    8. Nivala, Annika, 2024. "(No) Effects of Subsidizing the First Employee: Evidence of a Low Take-up Puzzle Among Firms," Working Papers 166, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Joachim Wolff & Gesine Stephan, 2013. "Subsidized work before and after the German Hartz reforms: design of major schemes, evaluation results and lessons learnt," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-24, December.
    10. Martin Huber & Kevin Kloiber & Lukas Laffers, 2024. "Testing identification in mediation and dynamic treatment models," Papers 2406.13826, arXiv.org.
    11. Rainer Eppel, 2017. "The Effects of a Job-Creation Scheme: Evidence from Regional Variation in Program Capacities," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 161-190, January.
    12. Moczall, Andreas, 2015. "The effect of hiring subsidies on regular wages," IAB-Discussion Paper 201501, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    13. Lang, Julia, 2018. "Employment effects of language training for unemployed immigrants," IAB-Discussion Paper 201821, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    14. Moczall, Andreas, 2015. "The effect of hiring subsidies on regular wages," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113225, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Santoni, Edoardo & Patriarca, Fabrizio & Scarlato, Margherita, 2024. "The effects of hiring credits on firm dynamics: a synthetic difference-in-differences evaluation," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1546, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Subsidized employment programs; training programs; regional variation; program evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy

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