Conscientiousness and Labor Market Returns : Evidence from a Field Experiment in West Africa

Non-cognitive skills are increasingly recognized as important determinants of labor market outcomes. To what extent specific skills can be affected in adulthood remains an open question. This study conducted a randomized controlled trial with low-skilled employed workers in Senegal, where workers were randomly assigned to receive a training intervention designed to affect conscientiousness-related skills. The findings show that treated workers were significantly more likely to stay in their job and have higher wages nine months after the intervention. The findings suggest that non-cognitive skills can be affected even later in the life cycle and can have substantial labor market returns