Job Search During the Covid-19 Crisis
39 Pages Posted: 20 May 2020 Last revised: 25 Nov 2020
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Job Search during the COVID-19 Crisis
Job Search During the Covid-19 Crisis
Date Written: May 2020
Abstract
This paper measures the job-search responses to the COVID-19 pandemic using realtime 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.
JEL Classification: E24, J21, J22, J23, J62, J63, J64
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