Effects of Argentine Students’ Support Program on Labor Transitions and Job Quality of Young People

Abstract

The deficits in the quality of employment in Argentina are particularly high among young people. To address this problem, the program PROGRESAR was created in January 2014 to encourage the educational completion of this group in order to improve their employability. The purpose of this document is to analyze the impact of this program on the transition to decent work. The effect of the program is estimated using a panel model with fixed effects. The program increases the probability of transition to quality jobs among young people. Specifically, the eligible group have 4.1 percentage point more chances of accessing formal, salaried employment mainly when they come from inactivity. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to enter a formal employment without other quality deficits —6.2 percentage point—.