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Déjà Vu? Short-term training in Germany 1980–1992 and 2000–2003

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Abstract

Short-term training has recently become the largest active labor market program in Germany regarding the number of participants. Little is known about the effectiveness of different types of short-term training, particularly their long-run effects. This paper estimates the effects of short-term training programs in West Germany starting in the time periods 1980–1992 and 2000–2003 on the three outcomes employment, earnings, and participation in long-term training programs. We find that short-term training shows mostly persistently positive and often significant employment effects. Short-term training focusing on testing and monitoring search effort shows slightly smaller effects compared to the pure training variant. The lock-in periods lasted longer in the 1980s and 1990s compared to the early 2000s. Short-term training results in higher future participation in long-term training programs.

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Correspondence to Bernd Fitzenberger.

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Fitzenberger, B., Orlanski, O., Osikominu, A. et al. Déjà Vu? Short-term training in Germany 1980–1992 and 2000–2003. Empir Econ 44, 289–328 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-012-0590-4

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