Economic Shocks and Skill Acquisition: Evidence from a National Online Learning Platform at the Onset of COVID-19. Working Paper 29921

Autor/inn/en	Ganguli, Ina; Haidar, Jamal I.; Khwaja, Asim Ijaz; Stemper, Samuel W.; Zafar, Basit
Institution	National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Titel	Economic Shocks and Skill Acquisition: Evidence from a National Online Learning Platform at the Onset of COVID-19. Working Paper 29921
Quelle	(2022) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Economic Impact; Skill Development; Electronic Learning; COVID-19; Pandemics; Foreign Countries; Job Skills; Saudi Arabia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ökonomische Determinanten; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Ausland; Produktive Fertigkeit; Saudi-Arabien
Abstract	We study how large shocks impact individuals' skilling decisions using data from the largest online learning platform in Saudi Arabia. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a massive increase in online skilling, and demand shifted towards courses that offered skills, such as telework, likely to be immediately valuable during the pandemic. Consistent with a model where individuals trade off reskilling costs with their expectations of future labor market conditions and their duration of work, we find that shifts into telework courses were largest for older workers. In contrast, younger workers increased enrollments in courses related to new skills, such as general, occupation-specific, and computer-related skills. Using national administrative employment data, we provide suggestive evidence that these investments in skills in early 2020 helped users maintain employment over the course of the pandemic. [This paper was funded through support from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.] (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01