Training for Jobseekers: A Strategic Response to Labour Shortages?

Héloïse Burlat ()
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Héloïse Burlat: -

Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium from Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

Abstract: Labour shortages persist in many countries, partly due to skill mismatches between job seekers and in-demand occupations. While prior research has examined the effect of training on reemployment, little is known about its role in addressing shortages. This paper identifies training programmes specifically targeted at shortage occupations and evaluates their impact on employment in these jobs across two different economic contexts: during the COVID-19 crisis and in the subsequent recovery period. Using Dynamic Inverse Probability Weighting, we find no significant medium-term effect in either context, except for men and minimum social income recipients during the COVID-19 crisis. Extending the horizon to 42 months for the 2019 cohort reveals a positive effect of targeted training, with an average of 40 additional days employed in shortage occupations. These findings suggest that training focused on shortage occupations may help mitigate labour shortages during downturns but appears less effective when labour demand is strong, informing the design of active labour market policies.

Keywords: Policy evaluation; Active labour market policy; Vocational training; Labour shortage; Dynamic Treatment Assignment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 J08 J24 J68 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 28 pages
Date: 2026-06
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rug:rugwps:26/1146

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