Minimum Wages and Provision of Training

We find a substantial and long-lasting positive effect of the introduction of regional minimum wages on training incidence and intensity. We apply a stacked difference-in-differences estimation to identify the dynamic effect of high minimum wages introduced in several Swiss cantons between 2018 and 2022. Employers invest more in formal training for retained employees during working hours, covering content beyond their main economic activity. We conclude that employers increase the productivity of their employees to retain the underlying rents. We carefully rule out confounding factors and offer an explanation for the difference
between our and some earlier findings.

Zigova, Katarina and Thomas Zwick (2026), Minimum Wages and Provision of Training, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 26-003, Mannheim.