Hut, StefanAbdulloev, IlhomAudy, Robinde Laat, JoostKataoka, SachikoLarrison, JennicaNikoloski, ZlatkoTorracchi, FedericoAjwad, Mohamed Ihsan2014-10-082014-10-082014-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20388This report addresses a fundamental question facing policy makers in Tajikistan: is the current level of worker skills hindering employment outcomes? Using a unique household survey, the study finds that skills are valued in Tajikistan’s labor market, yet skills gaps persist. Jobs have been created in more knowledge-intensive occupations and in the service sector as opposed to the more traditional manual jobs, and employment outcomes are stronger for workers with better skills. Analysis of worker skills shows that workers with better cognitive and non-cognitive skills are typically more likely to have the highly sought-after formal sector jobs; and in fact make more frequent and intense use of mathematics and reading skills on the job. Furthermore, workers with better non-cognitive skills tend to become supervisors. The study finds that there are large variations in observed skills among those with the same level of educational attainment, indicating that formal education is failing too many people even though skills are developed during different stages in the life cycle and a host of actors are involved—families, for example, play a central role. The report’s conclusion is that the government could shift the focus from providing access to educational institutions and instead focus on providing the skills (cognitive, non-cognitive, and technical) students need to succeed as adults. The government can also do more to get children off to the right start by investing in early childhood development programs, where rates of return to investment are generally very high and important soft skills are learned. Finally, more can be done to match worker skills with employer demand by improving the use of information in matching skills to jobs in the labor market.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONSACTIVE LABORACTIVE LABOR MARKETACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMSADULT TRAININGADULTSAGE COHORTCOGNITIVE SKILLSCOGNITIVE STIMULATIONCOGNITIVE TESTCOMPLETION RATESCRITICAL THINKINGCURRICULADECISION MAKINGDEPENDENCY RATIODEVELOPING COUNTRIESDEVELOPMENT GOALSDISSEMINATIONEARLY CHILDHOODEARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC MOBILITYEDUCATED WORKERSEDUCATION ATTAINMENTEDUCATION SYSTEMEDUCATION SYSTEMSEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTSEDUCATIONAL QUALITYELDERLYEMPLOYABILITYEMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT OUTCOMESEMPLOYMENT PROSPECTSEMPLOYMENT RATEEMPLOYMENT RATESEMPLOYMENT STATUSENROLLMENTENROLLMENT LEVELSEXPANDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESFAMILY INCOMEFEMALE EMPLOYMENTFEMALE POPULATIONFINDING JOBSFIRM GROWTHFORMAL SCHOOLINGFORMAL TRAININGGENERAL EDUCATIONGENERIC SKILLSHIGH EMPLOYMENTHIGH SCHOOLHIGHER EDUCATIONHIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONSHIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATIONHOUSEHOLD SURVEYHOUSEHOLD SURVEYSHUMAN CAPITALINFORMAL ECONOMYINFORMAL EMPLOYMENTINFORMAL SECTORINFORMAL SECTOR WORKERSINTERNAL MIGRATIONINTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONINTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATIONINTERNATIONAL MARKETINTERNATIONAL MIGRATIONINTERPERSONAL SKILLSJOB CREATIONJOB INSECURITYJOB SEARCHJOB SEARCHESJOB SECURITYJOB SEEKERSJOB VACANCIESJOBSLABOR CONTRACTLABOR DEMANDLABOR FORCELABOR LAWLABOR MARKETLABOR MARKET DEMANDLABOR MARKET INFORMATIONLABOR MARKET INFORMATION SYSTEMSLABOR MARKET NEEDSLABOR MARKET OUTCOMELABOR MARKET OUTCOMESLABOR MARKET PROGRAMLABOR MARKET PROGRAMSLABOR MARKETSLABOR MIGRANTSLABOR ORGANIZATIONLABOR PRODUCTIVITYLABOR SUPPLYLABOURLABOUR MARKETLEARNING OUTCOMESLEGAL STATUSLEVELS OF EDUCATIONLIFE-LONG LEARNINGLITERACYLITERACY SKILLSLIVING STANDARDSLOW-INCOME COUNTRIESMARITAL STATUSMARKET ECONOMYMATHEMATICSMIGRANTMIGRANTSMODERNIZATIONNUMBER OF PEOPLENUMERACYNUTRITIONOCCUPATIONSOLD AGEOLDER ADULTSOLDER WORKERSON-THE-JOB TRAININGON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAMOPEN UNEMPLOYMENTPAYING JOBSPENSIONSPERMANENT JOBPERSONALITYPHYSICAL HEALTHPHYSICAL WORKPLACE OF RESIDENCEPOLICY GOALSPOLICY MAKERSPOPULATION GROWTHPRESCHOOL ENROLLMENTPRIVATE ENTERPRISESPRIVATE FIRMSPRIVATE SECTORPRIVATE SECTOR WORKERSPROBLEM SOLVINGPRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENTPRODUCTIVITY GAINSPRODUCTIVITY GROWTHPRODUCTIVITY LEVELSPROVISION OF SERVICESPUBLIC EMPLOYMENTPUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICESPUBLIC SECTOR JOBSPUSH FACTORSQUALITY ASSURANCEQUALITY OF EDUCATIONREADINGREADING SKILLSREAL WAGESREGIONAL COOPERATIONREMITTANCEREMITTANCESRESPECTRETIREMENTRURAL AREASSALARIED WORKERSSCHOOLINGSCHOOLSSEASONAL LABORSECONDARY EDUCATIONSECONDARY SCHOOLSERVICE SECTORSKILL ACQUISITIONSKILL DEVELOPMENTSKILL TRAININGSKILL TYPESKILLED WORKFORCESKILLS ASSESSMENTSKILLS DEVELOPMENTSKILLS FOR EMPLOYMENTSKILLS REQUIREMENTSSMALL BUSINESSESSTAGES OF LIFESTATE-OWNED ENTERPRISESTATE-OWNED ENTERPRISESSTUDENT ASSESSMENTTEACHINGTEACHING QUALITYTECHNICAL EDUCATIONTECHNICAL SKILLSTERTIARY LEVELTOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITYTRAINING PROGRAMSTRAINING SYSTEMUNIVERSAL ACCESSUNPAID FAMILY WORKERSVOCATIONAL SKILLSWAGE EMPLOYMENTWAGE GROWTHWAGE PREMIUMWORK EXPERIENCEWORKERWORKERSWORKING CONDITIONSWORKING POPULATIONWORKING-AGE POPULATIONWORKING-AGE POPULATIONSWORLD POPULATIONYOUNG ADULTSYOUNG MENYOUNG PEOPLEYOUNG WORKERSYOUNGER WORKERSYOUTHYOUTH LABOR10.1596/20388