Home | Events Archive | Worker Hard and Soft Skills and Temporary Help Work Outcomes
Seminar

Worker Hard and Soft Skills and Temporary Help Work Outcomes

  • Series
    Labor Seminars
  • Speaker(s)
    Carolyn Heinrich (VanderBilt University, United States)
  • Field
    Empirical Microeconomics
  • Location
    Tinbergen Institute Amsterdam, room 1.01
    Amsterdam
  • Date and time

    June 27, 2023
    15:30 - 16:30

Abstract
We generate insights into worker soft and hard skills and employment outcomes in the temporary help industry, which accounts for a disproportionate share of low-wage workers and is an important port-of-entry for these workers into employment. We find that temporary help workers are terminated for performance problems at strikingly high rates and primarily for “soft skill” deficiencies. Hard and soft skill deficits are major barriers to workers staying employed, subsequent offers of employment, and securing a permanent job. Workers with hard and soft skills deficits cited on prior temporary assignments also suffer a wage penalty on subsequent assignments (when offered). Joint paper with Susan N. Houseman.