| Abstract: | This paper analyzes new data on job qualifications and training. Between 1983 and 1991, the share of workers reporting skill-improvement training on their jobs increased as did the wage premium for this training. Even in 1991, however, 58 percent of all workers reported no training on their jobs, and 44 percent reported needing no special qualifications to obtain their jobs. Training rates are especially low for young and less-educated workers. Skill demands appear to have shifted toward general and cognitive skills—best taught in formal training programs and schools—and away from specific and manual skills acquired through informal on-the-job training . |
