@misc{36155,
title = {Gaps in Research on Active Labor Market Policies},
author = {Gómez Aliaga, Guillermo Alejandro and Serrate, Liliana and Sardán, Solange and Urquidi, Manuel},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.18235/0013463},
abstract = {In the labor market, there are issues that need to be addressed and resolved, such as lack of skills or low productivity, barriers to employment, low wages, mismatch between job vacancies and job seekers, or lack of promotion for small businesses. As a remedy, Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs) are often implemented, such as training programs, entrepreneurship promotion, job search assistance or guidance, among others. This document analyzes the available evidence in recent literature that evaluates the impact of active labor market policies, with the aim of identifying knowledge gaps and studies that can provide guidelines for future research. To this end, documents on the results of programs implemented worldwide are analyzed, with a special focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. In this regard, the evidence shows that many programs are effective in improving people's employability, generating formal or higher-quality jobs, and increasing labor income. Studies evaluating programs indicate that interventions are particularly effective for young people and women. However, within this evidence, there are still knowledge gaps. After analyzing several meta-analyses and evaluations, it is found that there is a lack of implementation and evaluation of ALMPs focused on groups with additional challenges, such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, Afro-descendants, and LGBTQ individuals. Another gap is related to the lack of consideration of the specific characteristics of the labor market in each region, such as the presence of salaried work or the concentration of informal workers. Additionally, there is a gap in the generation of qualitative knowledge that explains why, in many cases, the programs do not work or do not have significant impacts.},
url = {https://doi.org/10.18235/0013463}
}