Soft Skills, Unemployment and Job Search" with Johanna Roth and Alexandra Roulet (INSEAD)

Abstract: Non-cognitive skills are increasingly rewarded in labor markets and are believed to play an important role in the job-finding process. We present evidence from a large-scale randomized controlled trial evaluating a soft-skills training program for job seekers in France. The two-week program, offered by the French Public Employment Service, aims to improve both job seekers’ soft skills and their awareness of the role these skills play in the labor market. Prior to training, we measure a broad set of non-cognitive skills, ranging from professional soft skills to personality traits, and identify those more strongly predictive of job-search behavior and employment outcomes. The program significantly improves those skills --particularly autonomy in career management. Participants also come to perceive soft skills as more important for job-search success. Although the training does not increase overall employment rates, it improves job quality: treated job seekers are more likely to obtain full-time, open-ended contracts and report higher earnings conditional on employment. We also show heterogenous impact of the training for different types of job seekers.