Publication:
Soft Skills or Hard Cash? The Impact of Training and Wage Subsidy Programs on Female Youth Employment in Jordan

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dc.contributor.authorGroh, Matthew
dc.contributor.authorKrishnan, Nandini
dc.contributor.authorMcKenzie, David
dc.contributor.authorVishwanath, Tara
dc.date.accessioned2012-12-11T22:36:54Z
dc.date.available2012-12-11T22:36:54Z
dc.date.issued2012-07
dc.description.abstractThroughout the Middle East, unemployment rates of educated youth have been persistently high and female labor force participation, low. This paper studies the impact of a randomized experiment in Jordan designed to assist female community college graduates find employment. One randomly chosen group of graduates was given a voucher that would pay an employer a subsidy equivalent to the minimum wage for up to 6 months if they hired the graduate; a second group was invited to attend 45 hours of employability skills training designed to provide them with the soft skills employers say graduates often lack; a third group was offered both interventions; and the fourth group forms the control group. The analysis finds that the job voucher led to a 40 percentage point increase in employment in the short-run, but that most of this employment is not formal, and that the average effect is much smaller and no longer statistically significant 4 months after the voucher period has ended. The voucher does appear to have persistent impacts outside the capital, where it almost doubles the employment rate of graduates, but this appears likely to largely reflect displacement effects. Soft-skills training has no average impact on employment, although again there is a weakly significant impact outside the capital. The authors elicit the expectations of academics and development professionals to demonstrate that these findings are novel and unexpected. The results suggest that wage subsidies can help increase employment in the short term, but are not a panacea for the problems of high urban female youth unemployment.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/07/16530040/soft-skills-or-hard-cash-impact-training-wage-subsidy-programs-female-youth-employment-jordan
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-6141
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/11970
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research working paper ; no. WPS 6141
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo
dc.subjectACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS
dc.subjectACCESS TO JOBS
dc.subjectACCOUNTING
dc.subjectACTIVE LABOR
dc.subjectACTIVE LABOR MARKET
dc.subjectACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICIES
dc.subjectACTIVE LABOR MARKET POLICY
dc.subjectACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS
dc.subjectADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS
dc.subjectAGE GROUPS
dc.subjectATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN
dc.subjectATTRITION
dc.subjectBANK ACCOUNT
dc.subjectBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
dc.subjectCAREERS
dc.subjectCHAMBER OF COMMERCE
dc.subjectCLASSROOM
dc.subjectCLASSROOM TRAINING
dc.subjectCLERKS
dc.subjectCOLLEGE GRADUATES
dc.subjectCOLLEGE STUDENTS
dc.subjectCOMMUNITY COLLEGE
dc.subjectCOMMUNITY COLLEGES
dc.subjectCURRICULUM
dc.subjectCUSTOMER SERVICE
dc.subjectDEVELOPMENT BANK
dc.subjectDEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
dc.subjectDISADVANTAGED GROUP
dc.subjectDISADVANTAGED GROUPS
dc.subjectDISADVANTAGED YOUTH
dc.subjectDISPLACEMENT
dc.subjectDISPLACEMENT EFFECT
dc.subjectDISPLACEMENT EFFECTS
dc.subjectEARNINGS
dc.subjectECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectEDUCATED WOMEN
dc.subjectEDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
dc.subjectEMPLOYABILITY
dc.subjectEMPLOYEE
dc.subjectEMPLOYER
dc.subjectEMPLOYERS
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT EFFECT
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT IMPACT
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT IMPACTS
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT POLICY
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT RATE
dc.subjectEMPLOYMENT STATUS
dc.subjectEMPOWERMENT
dc.subjectENROLLMENT
dc.subjectFAMILIES
dc.subjectFEMALE EMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectFEMALE LABOR
dc.subjectFEMALE LABOR FORCE
dc.subjectFEMALE STUDENTS
dc.subjectFINAL EXAMINATIONS
dc.subjectFINANCIAL MEANS
dc.subjectFINDING JOBS
dc.subjectFINDING WORK
dc.subjectFIRM SIZE
dc.subjectFIRM SURVEY
dc.subjectFIRM SURVEYS
dc.subjectFORMAL SCHOOLING
dc.subjectFREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
dc.subjectGENDER
dc.subjectGENDER EQUALITY
dc.subjectGENERAL EQUILIBRIUM
dc.subjectGIRLS
dc.subjectGROUP TRAINING
dc.subjectGROUP WORKER
dc.subjectHIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectHIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
dc.subjectHOUSEHOLD WEALTH
dc.subjectINCOME
dc.subjectINFORMATION MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectINFORMATION SYSTEMS
dc.subjectINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectINNOVATION
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL BANK
dc.subjectINTERVENTIONS
dc.subjectINVENTORY
dc.subjectJOB EXPERIENCE
dc.subjectJOB SATISFACTION
dc.subjectJOB SEARCH
dc.subjectJOBS
dc.subjectLABOR ECONOMICS
dc.subjectLABOR FORCE
dc.subjectLABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION
dc.subjectLABOR FORCE SURVEY
dc.subjectLABOR LAW
dc.subjectLABOR LAWS
dc.subjectLABOR MARKET
dc.subjectLABOR MARKET OUTCOMES
dc.subjectLABOR MARKETS
dc.subjectLABOR REGULATIONS
dc.subjectLABOR RELATIONS
dc.subjectLEADERSHIP
dc.subjectLEARNING
dc.subjectLEVELS OF EDUCATION
dc.subjectLIBRARIES
dc.subjectLIFE SKILLS
dc.subjectLITERATURE
dc.subjectLOCAL UNIVERSITIES
dc.subjectLOW EMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectMALE WORKERS
dc.subjectMENTAL HEALTH
dc.subjectMINIMUM WAGE
dc.subjectMINIMUM WAGES
dc.subjectMOTIVATION
dc.subjectNURSERY SCHOOL
dc.subjectNURSERY SCHOOLS
dc.subjectOCCUPATIONS
dc.subjectON-THE-JOB TRAINING
dc.subjectOPEN ACCESS
dc.subjectOPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN
dc.subjectPAPERS
dc.subjectPARTICIPATION RATES
dc.subjectPAYROLL TAXES
dc.subjectPERSONALITY
dc.subjectPOLITICAL ECONOMY
dc.subjectPOST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
dc.subjectPREJUDICE
dc.subjectPRIMARY EDUCATION
dc.subjectPRIVATE FIRMS
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY
dc.subjectPRIVATE SECTOR JOB
dc.subjectPRODUCTIVITY
dc.subjectPROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR
dc.subjectPUBLIC FINANCE
dc.subjectPUBLIC SECTOR JOB
dc.subjectRESEARCHERS
dc.subjectSCHOOLS
dc.subjectSECRETARIES
dc.subjectSKILLED WORKERS
dc.subjectSKILLS TRAINING
dc.subjectSOCIAL SECURITY
dc.subjectSOURCE OF INCOME
dc.subjectSPECIAL EDUCATION
dc.subjectTEACHER
dc.subjectTEACHERS
dc.subjectTECHNICAL SKILLS
dc.subjectTEMPORARY JOBS
dc.subjectTRAINING COMPONENT
dc.subjectTRAINING CONTENT
dc.subjectTRAINING COSTS
dc.subjectTRAINING COURSE
dc.subjectTRAINING FACILITIES
dc.subjectTRAINING GROUP
dc.subjectTRAINING IMPACT
dc.subjectTRAINING INDIVIDUALS
dc.subjectTRAINING PROGRAM
dc.subjectTRAINING PROGRAMS
dc.subjectTRAINING VOUCHER
dc.subjectTUITION
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYED
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYMENT RATE
dc.subjectUNEMPLOYMENT RATES
dc.subjectUNIVERSITIES
dc.subjectUNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS
dc.subjectUNIVERSITY COLLEGE
dc.subjectUNIVERSITY DEGREE
dc.subjectUNIVERSITY GRADUATES
dc.subjectUNIVERSITY STUDENTS
dc.subjectVOUCHERS
dc.subjectWAGE EMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectWAGE SUBSIDIES
dc.subjectWAGE SUBSIDY
dc.subjectWAGE SUBSIDY EVALUATIONS
dc.subjectWAGE SUBSIDY INTERVENTION
dc.subjectWAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
dc.subjectWOMAN
dc.subjectWORK EXPERIENCE
dc.subjectWORKER
dc.subjectWORKERS
dc.subjectWORKING CONDITIONS
dc.subjectWORKING HOURS
dc.subjectYOUTH EMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectYOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
dc.subjectYOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
dc.subjectMicrodata Set
dc.titleSoft Skills or Hard Cash? The Impact of Training and Wage Subsidy Programs on Female Youth Employment in Jordanen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crosscuttingsolutionareaJobs
okr.crossref.titleSoft Skills or Hard Cash? The Impact of Training and Wage Subsidy Programs on Female Youth Employment in Jordan
okr.date.disclosure2012-07-01
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T10:41:16.432190Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/07/16530040/soft-skills-or-hard-cash-impact-training-wage-subsidy-programs-female-youth-employment-jordan
okr.globalpracticeEducation
okr.globalpracticeSocial Protection and Labor
okr.globalpracticeFinance and Markets
okr.guid654491468271825136
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-6141
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000158349_20120723102944
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum16530040
okr.identifier.reportWPS6141
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/07/23/000158349_20120723102944/Rendered/PDF/WPS6141.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeMiddle East and North Africa
okr.region.countryJordan
okr.relation.associateddatasethttp://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/catalog/1549
okr.sectorEducation :: Vocational training
okr.themeSocial dev/gender/inclusion :: Gender
okr.themeSocial protection and risk management :: Improving labor markets
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Labor Markets
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Labor Policies
okr.topicTertiary Education
okr.topicFinance and Financial Sector Development::Access to Finance
okr.topicEducation::Primary Education
okr.volume1 of 1
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