Do Basic Digital Skills Help in the Labor Market? Evidence from a Repeated Assessment
Do Basic Digital Skills Help in the Labor Market? Evidence from a Repeated Assessment

Summary/Abstract: This article focuses on the labor market outcomes of acquisition of basic digital skills. A review of similar previous studies suggests that the present article is the first to focus on basic digital skills, to be based on a repeated measurement of these skills and to take account of a wide range of labor market outcomes. Research Aim: Our aim is to empirically test whether the acquisition of basic digital skills leads to an improved professional situation. Method: After outlining hypothetical underlying causal mechanisms, we use a unique panel dataset from a repeated assessment carried out in Poland and propensity score weighting technique to obtain two comparable groups of adults. Results: No significant effect of the acquisition of basic digital skills is found, with most effect estimates approaching zero. Additional strands of analysis indicate two probable reasons of this apparent lack of impact. First, most of adults who acquired basic digital skills did not obtain jobs requiring these skills. Second, what seems to be rewarded in the labor market is experience using work-relevant software, rather than possessing basic digital skills. Conclusion: A policy implication is that the education and training system should provide individuals with more than basic digital skills to increase their employability.

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