Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform

102 Pages Posted: 3 Dec 2024

See all articles by Kate Vyborny

Kate Vyborny

Duke University - Department of Economics

Robert Garlick

Duke University - Department of Economics

Nivedhitha Subramanian

Bates College

Erica Field

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business-Economics Group; Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative

Date Written: November 26, 2024

Abstract

Understanding specific barriers to job search and returns to relaxing these barriers is important for economists and policymakers. An experiment that changes the default process for initiating job applications increases applications by 600% on a search platform in Pakistan. Perhaps surprisingly, the marginal treatment-induced applications have approximately constant rather than decreasing returns. These results are consistent with a directed search model in which some jobseekers miss some high-return vacancies due to psychological costs of initiating applications. These findings show that small reductions in search costs can substantially improve search outcomes in environments with some relatively inactive jobseekers.

JEL Classification: J20, J60, O10

Suggested Citation

Vyborny, Kate and Garlick, Robert and Subramanian, Nivedhitha and Field, Erica, Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform (November 26, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4762859 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4762859

Kate Vyborny

Duke University - Department of Economics ( email )

213 Social Sciences Building
Box 90097
Durham, NC 27708-0204
United States

Robert Garlick (Contact Author)

Duke University - Department of Economics ( email )

213 Social Sciences Building
Box 90097
Durham, NC 27708-0204
United States

Nivedhitha Subramanian

Bates College

204 Lane Hall
2 Andrews Road
Lewiston, ME 04240
United States

Erica Field

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business-Economics Group ( email )

Box 90097
Durham, NC 27708-0097
United States
(919) 660-1857 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://sites.duke.edu/ericafield/

Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative ( email )

215 Morris St., Suite 300
Durham, NC 27701
United States

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