Evaluation of Training Programs in St. Gallen, Switzerland

This study evaluates the short-run employment effects of general basic courses, German language courses, and computer courses which were held for unemployed persons in the Swiss canton St. Gallen between January and April 1998. It is based on administrative data provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs for the time period between January 1996 to September 1998. To account for a possible selection bias a matching algorithm combined with a matched-sample regression was applied. It is found that, of the training courses evaluated, only German language courses could significantly improve the participants'' labor-market chances.