Documents Webbink, Dinand 2 results

"This paper reports about a randomized experiment in which training vouchers of €1000 were given to low-skilled workers. The vouchers increase training participation by almost 20 percentage points in two years, relative to a base rate of 0.45. This increased participation comes at a substantial deadweight loss of almost 60%. Consistent with predictions from human capital theory, we find that vouchers cause a shift towards more general forms of training. We do not find any significant impact of the program on monthly wages or on job mobility. The program does, however, have a significant impact on future training plans. Compared to always-takers, new trainees are more often male, more risk averse, work shorter hours and are less likely to have participated in training prior to treatment. Compared to never-takers, they are more often female, work longer hours and have a somewhat lower formal education level."

"This paper investigates the effects of a teacher strike on student achievement. From May 1990 until November 1990 teachers in the French community of Belgium stroked to obtain a salary increase. We exploit the political division of Belgium in a French community and a Flemish community, with similar educational institutions, for estimating the long-term effects of the strikes. Based on a difference-in-differences approach, using data from two different surveys, we find some evidence that the strikes reduced educational attainment and increased class repetition. We also find that the strikes led to a significant reallocation of students to a lower level of higher education. Overall, the results suggest that teacher strikes can lead to substantial costs for those not involved in the conflict."