Vacancy referrals, job search and the duration of unemployment: a randomized experiment

Per Engström, Patrik Hesselius and Bertil Holmlund ()

No 2009:3, Working Paper Series from IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy

Abstract: One goal of the public employment service is to facilitate matching between unemployed job seekers and job vacancies; another goal is to monitor job search so as to bring search efforts among the unemployed in line with search requirements. The referral of job seekers to vacancies is one instrument used for these purposes. We report results from a randomized Swedish experiment where the outcome of referrals is examined. To what extent do unemployed individuals actually apply for the jobs they are referred to? Does information to job seekers about increased monitoring affect the probability of applying and the probability of leaving unemployment? The experiment indicates that a relatively large fraction (one third) of the referrals do not result in job applications. Information about intensified monitoring causes an increase in the probability of job application, especially among young people. However, we find no significant impact on the duration of unemployment.

Keywords: vacancy referral; job matching; job search; randomized experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C99 J64 J68 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2009-02-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published as Engström, Per, Patrik Hesselius and Bertil Holmlund, 'Vacancy referrals, job search and the duration of unemployment: a randomized experiment' in LABOUR, 2012, pages 419-435.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment (2012)
Working Paper: Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment (2009)
Working Paper: Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment (2009)
Working Paper: Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment (2009)
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