Three Essays on Public Policy Evaluation

Abstract

This thesis evaluates three key public policies relevant in contemporary contexts: the Minimum Income Scheme of the Basque Country, the significant increase in Spain's minimum wage in 2019, and aninnovative Active Labor Market Policy named Training with Hiring Commitment. Chapter 1 assesses theimpact of the Basque Country's Minimum Income Scheme on poverty reduction, utilizing acomprehensive set of poverty indicators and the Survey of Poverty and Social Inequalities (EPDS) foranalysis. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the 2019 minimum wage hike in Spain on employmentprobabilities and work intensity, employing panel data from the Continuous Sample of Working Lives(CSWL) and comparing employment transitions between different wage groups. Chapter 3 evaluates theimpact of the Training with Hiring Commitment program in the Basque Country, which combines jobtraining with direct employment opportunities. Administrative records and matching techniques are usedto estimate the program's effect on employment outcomes. Through rigorous analyses of these policies,this thesis aims to showcase the depth of understanding and the array of methodologies available forevaluating policy impacts, contributing to the broader academic literature in the field of public policyevaluation.