Do Labour Market Programmes Speed up the Return to Work?*
评估挪威劳动力市场项目对失业持续时间的影响，发现参与项目在完成后能改善就业前景，但参与期间存在锁定效应，平均净效果接近零。
Abstract We evaluate the impact of labour market programmes on unemployment durations in Norway, by means of a distribution‐free mixed proportional competing risks hazard rate model. We find that programme participation, once completed, improves employment prospects, but that there is often an opportunity cost in the form of a lock‐in effect during participation. The average net effect of programme participation on the length of the job search period is found to be around zero. For participants with poor employment prospects, the favourable post‐programme effects outweigh the negative lock‐in effects.