Evidence in Labor Market Policies and Implications for Brazil: Job Training Programs

Skills are important for accessing high-quality jobs and being more productive. However, in Brazil and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, many people neither receive adequate training, nor develop skills that are demanded in the labor market. While job training programs are generally successful in providing job seekers with new skills, they have had mixed results on employment and earnings. These mixed results, together with the fact that job training programs can be expensive, highlight the importance of identifying the most promising features of such programs as input for future program design. This publication produced in collaboration between JOI Brazil, a J-PAL LAC initiative, and the InterAmerican Development Bank, examines the available evidence on job training programs and considers its implications for public policy in Brazil.