The COVID-19 pandemic and firms’ E-learning use: implications for inequality in training opportunities

This paper investigates whether the adoption of E-learning by firms contributed to offset the decrease in firm-sponsored training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a novel firm level survey linked with administrative data on the universe of workers within those firms, I study the role of E-learning in firms’ training activities during the crisis. I find that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially decreased firm-sponsored training by up to 11 percentage points. However, firms’ ability to use E-learning nullifies this negative effect. Furthermore, the differential capabilities of firms to apply E-learning might exacerbate already prevalent inequalities in training opportunities.