Job search during the COVID-19 crisis

Lena Hensvik, Thomas Le Barbanchon and Roland Rathelot

Journal of Public Economics, 2021, vol. 194, issue C

Abstract: This paper measures the job-search responses to the COVID-19 pandemic using real-time data on vacancy postings and job ad views on Sweden’s largest online job board. First, new vacancy postings drop by 40%, similar to the US. Second, job seekers respond by searching less intensively, to the extent that effective labour market tightness increases during the first three months after the COVID outbreak. Third, they redirect their search towards less severely hit occupations, beyond what changes in vacancies would predict. Overall, these job-search responses have the potential to amplify the labour demand shock.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Search intensity; Search direction; Labour demand shock; Job vacancies; Online job board (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E24 J21 J22 J23 J62 J63 J64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (43)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Job search during the covid-19 crisis (2021)
Working Paper: Job Search during the COVID-19 Crisis (2020)
Working Paper: Job Search during the COVID-19 Crisis (2020)
Working Paper: Job Search during the COVID-19 Crisis (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:194:y:2021:i:c:s0047272720302139

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104349

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