Maranto, Cheryl L., and Robert C. Rodgers. 1984. “Does Work Experience Increase Productivity? A Test of the On-the-Job Training Hypothesis.” Journal of Human Resources 19(3):341-357.

Using data on wage claims investigations of a state labor department, we test the proposition that work experience increases productivity. Productivity is measured as the fraction of wages an employer allegedly owes an employee which the investigator is able to collect. The recovery of back wages is accomplished without the availability of an official enforcement mechanism. The empirical estimates indicate that investigators become significantly more productive during the first six years of job experience. While the uniqueness of this occupation prevents generalizing this finding, the study raises some important methodological issues.

The authors are, respectively, Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, and Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin. The authors wish to thank Cynthia Gramm, Dan Hamermesh, Einar Hardin, Forrest Nelson, and an anonymous referee for helpful comments on earlier drafts. We are indebted to several individuals in the State Department of Labor for providing us with access to the data and for their continuing assistance. The research was supported in part by The University of Iowa.

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US ISSN 0022-166X

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