Informing the Job Search: A Field Experiment in an Urban Labor Market

Farzana Afridi (), Soubhagya Sahoo and Nikita Sangwan
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Farzana Afridi: Indian Statistical Institute
Soubhagya Sahoo: Higher School of Economics University
Nikita Sangwan: Queen's University Belfast

No 18821, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: We examine the impact of labor market information on beliefs, job search and employment outcomes of job seekers in urban India. Through a cluster-randomized intervention in Delhi, over 3000 men and women are randomized into a treatment group in which they are informed and assisted in accessing a job matching platform, supplemented by phone messages that deliver either non-personalized or personalized labor market information; or a control group in which neither assistance with the matching platform nor any phone messages is given. A year after intervention, men reduce overall job search while women's search shifts to online modes in both treatment groups. Although there is no impact on overall employment, we find evidence of a marginal shift in occupational structure -- away from casual jobs towards salaried work -- along with higher earnings, for women in later months. These employment impacts are relatively stronger in the personalized messaging group. We highlight the role of (mis-)beliefs about the labor market and gendered information frictions in explaining our findings.

Keywords: job search; digital platforms; employment; expectations; gender; youth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J21 J28 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-07
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