American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Do Workfare Programs Live Up to Their Promises? Experimental Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
(pp. 112–53)
Abstract
We study contemporaneous and post-program impacts of a public works program which provides urban youth seven months of employment at the formal minimum wage with complementary training in entrepreneurship or job search. During the program, the employment rate only increases slightly, but we find a shift toward wage jobs, higher earnings and savings, as well as positive changes in work habits, behaviors, and well-being. After the program, we find no lasting impact on employment or behaviors, with only limited gains in earnings stemming from independent activities. Using machine learning to analyze heterogeneity, we show that alternative targeting approaches can substantially improve welfare.Citation
Bertrand, Marianne, Bruno Crépon, Alicia Marguerie, and Patrick Premand. 2026. "Do Workfare Programs Live Up to Their Promises? Experimental Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 18 (4): 112–53. DOI: 10.1257/app.20240586Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- C45 Neural Networks and Related Topics
- G51 Household Finance: Household Saving, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
- H53 National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J64 Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration