A field experiment on labor market speeddates for unemployed workers

Author(s)
Bas van der Klaauw, Lennart Ziegler
Abstract

We conduct a field experiment to evaluate labor market speeddates where unemployed workers meet temporary employment agencies. Participation in such events increases immediate job finding by six to seven percentage points. Afterwards employment effects diminish, suggesting that temporary employment has no long-lasting effect on employment prospects. While the intervention is cost-effective for the unemployment insurance (UI) administration, higher labor earnings of treated job seekers do not compensate for the decline in benefit payments. Survey evidence shows that speeddate participation increases job search motivation and reduces reservation wages. These findings concur with predictions of a model where job seekers update their labor market beliefs.

Organisation(s)
Department of Economics
External organisation(s)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Journal
The Journal of Human Resources
Volume
60
Pages
259-288
No. of pages
30
ISSN
0022-166X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1021-11946R2
Publication date
06-2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502001 Labour market policy, 502057 Experimental economics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Economics and Econometrics, Management of Technology and Innovation, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Strategy and Management
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/c49d6de0-492c-4502-8aa9-545fcc750bab