Series
Upjohn Institute working paper ; 20-328
DOI
10.17848/wp20-328
Issue Date
June 2020
Abstract
We present field experimental evidence that limited information about workseekers’ skills distorts both firm and workseeker behavior. Assessing workseekers’ skills, giving workseekers their assessment results, and helping them to credibly share the results with firms increases workseekers’ employment and earnings. It also aligns their beliefs and search strategies more closely with their skills. Giving assessment results only to workseekers has similar effects on beliefs and search, but smaller effects on employment and earnings. Giving assessment results only to firms increases callbacks. These patterns are consistent with two-sided information frictions, a new finding that can inform design of information-provision mechanisms.
Sponsorship
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Early Career Research Award 18-156-04, National Science Foundation (# 1824413), Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (# 3024 and # 4728), and the Global Challenges Research Fund Accelerating Adolescent Achievement Hub
Subject Areas
LABOR MARKET ISSUES; Employment relationships
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Citation
Carranza, Eliana, Robert Garlick, Kate Orkin, and Neil Rankin. 2020. "Job Search and Hiring with Two-Sided Limited Information about Workseekers’ Skills." Upjohn Institute Working Paper 20-328. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. https://doi.org/10.17848/wp20-328