Unwilling to Reskill? Experimental Evidence from Real-World Jobseekers

Alexia Delfino, Andrea Garnero, Sergio Inferrera, Marco Leonardi and Raffaella Sadun

No 21055, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We study barriers preventing jobseekers from pursuing reskilling in high-demand occupations. Using a discrete choice experiment, we quantify the demand for reskilling among Italian jobseekers in two white-collar high-demand occupations—information technology assistant and construction technician—and identify its main determinants. Willingness to pay estimates show that participants are willing to pay to reskill into IT, but would require compensation to reskill into construction. Beliefs about monetary returns and social status help explain differences in reskilling demand, but perceived identity fit in the target occupation emerges as the most important individual-level factor shaping reskilling decisions. A light-touch randomized information intervention providing data on occupational returns significantly increases both stated interest in reskilling and actual engagement in real- world training.

Keywords: Information; Unemployment; Occupational change; Identity; Discrete choice experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 I20 J24 J32 J6 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01
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