scholarly journals Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes for Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence from 'Work First'

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Autor ◽  
Susan Houseman
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Temporary Help ◽  
Work First

scholarly journals Do Temporary-Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes for Low-Skilled Workers? Evidence from “Work First”

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 96-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H Autor ◽  
Susan N Houseman
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
Welfare To Work ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Work Program ◽  
Unique Structure ◽  
Temporary Help ◽  
Work First

Temporary-help jobs offer rapid entry into paid employment, but they are typically brief and it is unknown whether they foster longer term employment. We utilize the unique structure of Detroit's welfare-to-work program to identify the effect of temporary-help jobs on labor market advancement. Exploiting the rotational assignment of welfare clients to numerous nonprofit contractors with differing job placement rates, we find that temporary-help job placements do not improve and may diminish subsequent earnings and employment outcomes among participants. In contrast, job placements with direct-hire employers substantially raise earnings and employment over a seven quarter follow-up period. (JEL J22, J23, J24, J31, J68)

scholarly journals The Labor Market Returns to Cognitive and Noncognitive Ability: Evidence from the Swedish Enlistment

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Lindqvist ◽  
Roine Vestman
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Personal Interview ◽  
Market Returns ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Noncognitive Ability ◽  
Annual Earnings

We use data from the Swedish military enlistment to assess the importance of cognitive and noncognitive ability for labor market outcomes. The measure of noncognitive ability is based on a personal interview conducted by a psychologist. We find strong evidence that men who fare poorly in the labor market—in the sense of unemployment or low annual earnings—lack noncognitive rather than cognitive ability. However, cognitive ability is a stronger predictor of wages for skilled workers and of earnings above the median. (JEL J24, J31, J45)

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