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Bauer, Anja & Enzo Weber (2026): Decomposing Variations in Labor Market Mismatch. (IAB-Discussion Paper 03/2026), Nürnberg, 19 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2603

Abstract

"Dieses Diskussionspapier zeigt, wie Veränderungen des Arbeitsmarkt-Mismatch auf die Komponenten Arbeitslosigkeit, offene Stellen und Matchingeffizienz zurückgeführt werden können. Wir stellen fest, dass die Arbeitslosigkeit der wichtigste Faktor ist und auch die zyklischen Schwankungen bestimmt, während die Beiträge der offenen Stellen geringer und antizyklisch sind. Wir unterscheiden nach der Ursache der Arbeitslosigkeit und zeigen, dass Ströme gegenüber der Beschäftigung den Mismatch verstärken, während dies für Nichtbeschäftigung und Ausbildung / Weiterbildung nicht der Fall ist." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bischof, Stephan & Rolf van der Velden (2026): Wage effects of skill mismatches across domains: the importance of ICT skills. In: Oxford economic papers. DOI:10.1093/oep/gpag001

Abstract

"To date, it is unclear in which skills mismatches are most relevant for individuals’ wages, and whether surpluses or deficits in one domain can offset those in another. This study addresses these gaps by examining how mismatches in five key skill domains (ICT, reading, mathematics, science, and reasoning) are linked to individuals’ wages. Utilizing data from the 2016 wave of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Adult Cohort, our findings reveal that skill deficits consistently result in lower wages, whereas surpluses do not pay off in each domain. Notably, mismatches in ICT skills are most significant for individuals’ wages: ICT deficits not only reduce wages, but can also negate wage benefits from surpluses in other skills. Conversely, ICT surpluses can compensate for wage penalties associated with deficits in other domains. These findings underscore the importance of digital skills for productivity and wage potential in the modern labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bossler, Mario & Martin Popp (2026): Labor Demand on a Tight Leash. In: ILR review, S. 1-35. DOI:10.1177/00197939261435961

Abstract

"Using detailed information on vacancies and job seekers, the authors study the effect of labor market tightness on labor demand for the near-universe of German firms. To this end, novel Bartik instruments are constructed that combine firms’ predetermined employment shares with nationwide shifts at the occupational level. The results show that tightness significantly reduces firms’ labor demand, implying that the observed doubling in tightness between 2012 and 2019 reduced employment by 5%. At the aggregate level, the negative tightness effect creates search externalities, which reduce the own-wage elasticity of labor demand from −0.7 to −0.5 through reallocation of workers between firms. To guide the analysis, the authors embed elements of the canonical search-and-matching model into a labor demand equation, while allowing vacancy posting costs to increase in tight markets. Through the lens of this model, the pre-match component of hiring costs amounts to 16–24% of annual wage payments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Sage) ((en))

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Drasch, Katrin & Gerhard Krug (2026): Finding a job through social networks: monetary and nonmonetary returns for employed and unemployed job seekers. In: European Societies, S. 1-34. DOI:10.1162/euso.a.106

Abstract

"This study examines the impact of job vacancy information obtained through personal contacts on monetary and nonmonetary job search outcomes. We hypothesise that the effects will be positive for both kinds of outcome, and that these effects may depend on employment status prior to finding a new job. Additionally, we hypothesise that information from professional personal contacts will lead to better job search outcomes than information from private personal contacts. We use panel data from the German Panel Study “Labour Market and Social Security” (PASS) and fixed effects regressions to test these hypotheses. Monetary outcomes are measured by wages and nonmonetary outcomes by job satisfaction. Overall, we find that the employed tend to benefit more than the unemployed. However, the specific pattern differs depending on whether vacancy information stems from personal or professional contacts and on the type of outcome (monetary or nonmonetary)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Galos, Diana Roxana & Joris Frese (2026): Online social class cues and employability: Experimental evidence from Germany. In: Social science research, Jg. 133. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2025.103258

Abstract

"Social media platforms, such as Twitter or Instagram, offer easily accessible information – relevant or not – for employers when evaluating candidates for a position. In particular, they tend to be sources of information about individuals’ interests and leisure activities.Because interests are highly stratified by social class (e.g., engagement in highbrow and lowbrow activities), this represents a new way for class to potentially manifest itself in the hiring process. To study discrimination in hiring based on online social class cues, we conducted a pre-registered survey experiment in Germany with samples of employers and non-employers, manipulating job applicants’ class cues on social media(highbrow versus lowbrow). Overall, we found no difference in preferences for the candidates displaying highbrow and lowbrow activities on their social media profiles. However, this masks important differences in the specific activities proxying for class. When these activities have no relevance for the jobs in question, higher-class candidates are preferred. Exploratory analyses show that respondents are more likely to express positive sentiments toward the higher-class profiles, with highbrow activities being positively associated with work-related traits. Our findings highlight the need to consider how digital environments and, more specifically, online social class cues, may contribute to class bias in hiring." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))

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Gottfries, Axel (2026): Bargaining with Renegotiation in Models with On-the-Job Search. In: Review of Economic Dynamics. DOI:10.1016/j.red.2026.101343

Abstract

"I present an on-the-job search model with bargaining and renegotiation in which turnover depends on the contracted wage. There is a unique monotone Markov equilibrium. The model encompasses elements of dynamic monopsony and rent sharing. Firms benefit from the reduced turnover associated with a higher wage and workers extract rents due to their bargaining power. Shorter wage contracts reduce the response of turnover to the contracted wage, reducing a firm’s willingness to increase pay, and thereby the worker’s equilibrium share of the match surplus. As renegotiation becomes continuous, linear surplus sharing is obtained. The model further generates spillover effects from minimum wages due to firms’ incentives to increase contracted wages to reduce turnover. These incentives, and therefore the spillovers, are weaker when wage contracts are shorter. Finally, I endogenize the frequency of renegotiation, and find that, generically, the equilibrium features infrequently renegotiated wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))

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Hartl, Tobias, Christian Hutter & Enzo Weber (2026): Matching for three: The search activities of workers, firms, and employment services. In: Economic Modelling, Jg. 155, 2025-12-08. DOI:10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107434

Abstract

"The standard labour market matching function neglects a substantial variation of hirings. A crucial driver of this latent part is the search intensity of job seekers and firms, as well as the placement intensity of employment agencies. However, there is still a lack of integration of all three search and placement intensities into a unified theoretical framework. Their combined labour market effects have not been estimated so far. We feed all three intensities into the theoretical framework of a labour market matching function to estimate their impact on the job finding rate – effects which are not settled a priori. This could provide important stylised facts for subsequent theory building. For measuring the search and placement intensities, we use big data on online activity obtained from the job exchange of the German Federal Employment Agency and from its internal placement-software. The results show that all three intensities significantly contribute to the variation in job findings beyond vacancies and unemployment. During the COVID-19 crisis, reduced search intensities accounted for 44 percent of lost hirings and 16 percent of the labour market related increase in unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier) ((en))

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Hennrich, Jonas & Daria Schaller (2026): Berufseinsteiger*innen im Fokus: Unternehmen setzen auf Soft Skills und Künstliche Intelligenz. In: Ifo-Schnelldienst, Jg. 79, H. 01, S. 77-84.

Abstract

"Das ifo Institut befragt in Zusammenarbeit mit Randstad Deutschland quartalsweise deutsche HR-Abteilungen zu personalpolitisch relevanten Themen. Neben wiederkehrenden Standardfragen standen im vierten Quartal Berufseinsteiger*innen und die Bedeutung von Berufserfahrung im Fokus. Etwa ein Drittel der Unternehmen sieht Berufserfahrung inzwischen als stärkeres Einstellungskriterium, während die Mehrheit keinen Bedeutungszuwachs beobachtet. Bei Einsteiger*innen zählen vor allem Kommunikations- und Teamfähigkeit, gefolgt von Selbstorganisation und Verantwortungsbewusstsein. Außerdem gewinnt Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) an Bedeutung: Viele Unternehmen planen, KI bei typischen Einsteigeraufgaben einzusetzen, einen großflächigen Ersatz von Mitarbeitenden erwarten jedoch nur wenige. Die meisten Betriebe planen, die Zahl der Einstiegsstellen stabil zu halten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Jungbauer, Thomas (2026): Strategic Wage Posting, Market Power, and Mismatch. In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 44, H. 2, S. 481-514. DOI:10.1086/733046

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the effects of firms posting multiple but varying number of vacancies, hence differing in their market power, in professional labor markets. I find that strategic wage Posting does, in general, not result in an efficient assignment of workers to firms. This is because firms with a larger number of vacancies pay on average lower wages than their competitors due to alack of within-firm rivalry. If highly productive firms hire more, the resulting welfare loss dueto mismatch may be substantial. Moreover, I provide a potential explanation why firms postuniform wages, missing out on more-skilled workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Loewy, Michael B. (2026): Teaching two-sided labor search theory to undergraduates: A model and some exercises. In: The journal of economic education, Jg. 57, H. 1, S. 27-38. DOI:10.1080/00220485.2025.2549718

Abstract

"Although the Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides (DMP) model originated roughly 40 years ago and its authors shared the 2010 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, their work is still absent from several recent editions of popular intermediate macroeconomics textbooks. In contrast, Stephen Williamson's textbook (2014, 2018) presents an early static version of the DMP model accessible to undergraduates. This article's author compensates for the topic's omission in some intermediate-level textbooks by discussing Williamson's static DMP model and presenting four additional exercises not covered in his main text: (1) a change in a vacancy's posting price; (2) an increase in workers' relative bargaining power; (3) the introduction of a minimum wage; and (4) the introduction of an endogenous unemployment insurance benefit. The latter exercise yields an interesting neutrality result." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Marois, Guillaume, Michaela Potancoková, Agnieszka Bezat & Jesús Crespo Cuaresma (2026): Projecting Labour Market Imbalances and Skill Mismatch Under Demographic Change in the EU. In: European Journal of Population, Jg. 42, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s10680-025-09758-2

Abstract

"We assess long-term labour mismatches in the European Union (EU27) by projecting the occupational distribution of workers and skill-specific labour demand up to 2060. Using a dynamic microsimulation approach (Link4Skills-Mic ), we jointly model demographic, educational, and labour force dynamics at the individual level and combine country-specific projections of labour supply with projections of occupational demand. The analysis highlights growing imbalances: although the supply of highly educated workers continues to rise, shifts in demand are not evenly distributed across skill levels. Consequently, underutilization of high-skilled workers is projected to coexist with persistent vacancies in medium- and low-skilled occupations. Rather than indicating widespread labour shortages, these trends point to structural mismatches driven by the misalignment of worker qualifications, job characteristics, and hiring practices. To explore potential responses, we examine a series of policy scenarios such as expanded immigration, education reform, mid-career retraining, delayed retirement, and employer-led automation and upskilling. The findings show that, while certain policies can reduce specific mismatches, no single intervention closes all the gaps that emerge. Notably, automation reduces vacancies but increases underutilization, whereas human capital strategies shift mismatches across skill levels. These results suggest that addressing future labour mismatches will require coordinated, comprehensive and varied strategies that integrate demographic realities with evolving job demands in Europe’s ageing and increasingly digitalized and knowledge-based economies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mühlbauer, Sabrina & Enzo Weber (2026): Machine learning for labor market matching. In: Machine learning with applications, Jg. 23, 2026-02-03. DOI:10.1016/j.mlwa.2026.100861

Abstract

"This paper develops a large-scale machine learning framework to improve labor market matching using rich administrative data. Matching is defined as a job seeker entering employment in a specific occupational field. We exploit comprehensive employment biographies from Germany, covering individual characteristics and job-related information, to estimate employment probabilities across occupations and generate personalized job recommendations. The contribution lies in demonstrating why machine learning methods are particularly well suited for administrative labor market data and outperform traditional statistical approaches. We compare logit, ordinary least squares (OLS), k-nearest neighbors, and random forest (RF). RF consistently achieves the highest predictive performance. Its advantage is rooted in key methodological properties: RF builds an ensemble of decision trees trained on bootstrap samples, introduces random feature selection at each split, and aggregates predictions through majority voting. This enables RF to capture nonlinear relationships and complex interactions, remain robust in high-dimensional settings, and reduce overfitting — features that are particularly relevant for heterogeneous and imbalanced administrative data. Compared to conventional models, RF better exploits the full informational content of employment histories, especially when estimating on all employment spells rather than restricting the sample to unemployment-to-employment transitions. The sample comprises approximately 55 million spells, representing about 6 percent of the German workforce from 2012 to 2018. Our results suggest that ML-based matching, relative to standard statistical approaches, could hypothetically reduce the unemployment rate by up to 0.3 percentage points, highlighting the practical relevance of RF-based decision support for labor market policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Elsevier) ((en))

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Stans, Renske, Laura Ehrmantraut, Malin Siemers & Pia Pinger (2026): The Impact of Higher Education on Employer Perceptions. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 136, H. 674, S. 602-625. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf061

Abstract

"Do employers seek to attract individuals with more education because it enhances human capital or because it signals higher levels of pre-existing traits? We experimentally vary master’s degree completion rates on applicant résumés and examine how this influences candidates’ desirability and employer perceptions of their productive characteristics. Our findings show that while a completed master’s degree increases desirability, an incomplete master’s degree is perceived by human resource managers as less favorable than a bachelor’s degree. This suggests that employersprefer candidates with higher education mainly because they view the degree as a signal of pre-existing productive traits. Consistent with this, employers perceive both cognitive and non-cognitive traits as stronger in master graduates but non-cognitive traits as weaker in master dropouts compared to bachelor’s degree holders. Overall, perceived cognitiveand non-cognitive traits play a larger role in determining a candidate ’s attractiveness than expertise. This paper thus provides causal evidence on the origins of the education premium." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Yeo, Hyesu (2026): Older Worker’s Job Search Activities and Employment Transition. In: Research on Aging, Jg. 48, H. 1, S. 28-43. DOI:10.1177/01640275251343107

Abstract

"This study investigated job search patterns among American older workers. Data from the 2016-2018 Health and Retirement Study included 1501 individuals aged 50+ who were looking for jobs in 2016. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify job search patterns based on nine types of job search activities. Multinomial logistic regression was then used to examine membership in each class. Five job search patterns emerged from the LCA analysis, including No Ads, Ads only, Friends & Ads, Phone & Ads, and Agencies & Ads. Employment transitions were related to job search patterns. Unemployed older workers, despite utilizing more diverse job search methods, were less likely to secure new jobs compared to their employed peers. These findings highlight the need for workforce development programs to focus on workplace skill-building training and educational opportunities before becoming unemployed and age-friendly workforce development tailored to older workers with low-skilled and low income." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zimmermann, Florian & Matthias Collischon (2026): Männer nutzen persönliche Netzwerke zur Jobsuche etwas häufiger und gezielter als Frauen. In: IAB-Forum H. 18.05.2026. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20260518.01

Abstract

"Kontakte zu Verwandten und Bekannten spielen bei der Jobsuche sowohl für Männer als auch für Frauen eine wichtige Rolle. Dies zeigt eine IAB-Befragung von Personen, die innerhalb von vier Wochen vor der Befragung eine neue Stelle gesucht hatten. Allerdings werden Frauen deutlich seltener als Männer einem Arbeitgeber vorgestellt oder empfohlen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Zimmermann, Florian & Matthias Collischon (2026): Women use Social Networks for Job Search more often than Men, but Men use them more intensely. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 259, 2025-12-18. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112795

Abstract

"Research has long highlighted the role of social capital for labor market outcomes, but gendered processes received surprisingly little attention. Employing representative German survey data, we analyze differences in job search via social networks. Contrary to expectations, we find that women report using social networks more often at the extensive margin compared to men, but men are more likely utilize networks in ways requiring more effort, such as being introduced to employers. Thus, we highlight the importance of investigating social networks in detail to understand the role of social networks for generating or sustaining gender inequalities in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Afonina, Mariya & Anna Zaharieva (2025): How did you find your job? Effects of the job search channels on labour market outcomes in Germany. In: Verein für Socialpolitik (Hrsg.) (2025): Revival of Industrial Policy. Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2025.

Abstract

"We study the effect of finding a job through one’s social contact on starting wages. Using combined SOEP-INKAR data for Germany and propensity score analysis - both matching and weighting - we document that referral hiring is associated with a wage penalty of 10%. This penalty is stable over time. Separating by the type of the social contact, we find that referrals from former colleagues are associated with a 9% wage premium compared to a direct formal application. In contrast, referrals from friends are associated with a 7% wage penalty. Our results highlight persistent self-selection of workers on observable and unobservable characteristics. Using information from a short test of cognitive abilities (symbol digit test) we document that workers recommended by former colleagues perform best in the ability test, consistent with the predictions from a sorting model. The lowest performance is recorded for those relying on the help of their friends. The effects are primarily driven by the sub-sample of women. No significant differences across search channels are found for personality traits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arndt, Franziska, Philip Herzer & Paula Risius (2025): Auszubildende über Social Media finden. (KOFA kompakt / Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung 2025,01), Köln, 6 S.

Abstract

"Die Lage am Ausbildungsmarkt ist angespannt: Viele Unternehmen können ihre Ausbildungsplätze nicht besetzen, während gleichzeitig zahlreiche Jugendliche ohne Ausbildungsplatz bleiben. Um diese Passungsprobleme zu überwinden, ist es wichtig, dass Unternehmen ihre Ausbildungsplätze dort bewerben, wo Jugendliche suchen. Besonders wichtig sind für Jugendliche Online-Stellenanzeigen und die Vermittlungsangebote der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. An dritter Stelle stehen Social-Media-Kanäle. Die passgenaue Auswahl von Social-Media-Kanälen und -Inhalten kann Unternehmen somit näher an Jugendliche bringen. Doch: Während Jugendliche vor allem über Instagram, YouTube und WhatsApp suchen, nutzen Unternehmen neben Instagram eher Facebook, LinkedIn und Xing. Gerade Facebook ist für Jugendliche jedoch kaum relevant. Die direkte Ansprache von Jugendlichen mit Haupt- und Realschulabschluss bietet besonders großes Potenzial, denn es zeigt sich, dass Haupt- und Realschüler:innen anders suchen als Abiturient:innen: Haupt- und Realschüler:innen nutzen neben Online-Stellenanzeigen besonders analoge Formate. In den sozialen Medien nutzen sie vorwiegend Instagram, WhatsApp und YouTube." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Baktash, Mehrzad B. (2025): Overeducation, performance pay and wages: evidence from Germany. In: Education Economics, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1080/09645292.2025.2546445

Abstract

"Overeducated workers are more productive and have higher wages in comparison to their adequately educated coworkers in the same jobs. However, they have lower wages than their similarly educated peers who are in correctly matched jobs. This study examines the hypotheses that overeducated workers sort into performance pay jobs as an adjustment mechanism and that performance pay enhances their wages. Using the SOEP, I show that overeducation associates with a higher likelihood of sorting into performance pay jobs and that performance pay significantly improves the wages of overeducated workers. The findings hold in endogenous switching regressions and several robustness checks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Basbug, Gokce & Roberto M. Fernandez (2025): Gendered Job Search: An Analysis of Gender Differences in Reservation Wages and Job Applications. In: ILR review, Jg. 78, H. 1, S. 217-239. DOI:10.1177/00197939241298623

Abstract

"Using a weekly survey of unemployed workers, this study examines gender differences in reservation wages and applied-for occupational categories. The analysis shows that a large portion of the gender difference in reservation wages is attributable to the fact that women and men search for different occupations. Findings further demonstrate that women are more likely to apply to occupations with higher percentages of female incumbents, and they target these occupations from the earlier stages of their job search, rather than adjusting their preferences over the course of unemployment. Further analysis shows that women are more likely to apply for occupational categories that offer greater flexibility in working hours, more opportunities for interpersonal interactions, less critical decision-making, and a less competitive environment. Finally, the analysis reveals that household responsibilities, particularly the number of children, and willingness to take risks are important factors influencing women’s decisions to pursue occupations with less demanding work hours." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Benanav, Aaron (2025): When an Accountant Becomes a Taxi Driver: Unemployment, Labor Market Institutions, and Economic Theory. In: History of political economy, Jg. 57, H. S1, S. 81-110. DOI:10.1215/00182702-12134470

Abstract

"This article reconstructs the history of how economists came to understand unemployment as a distinct category and how that understanding transformed over time. In the early twentieth century, governments regulated access to unemployment benefits and established labor market protections, drawing sharper boundaries between employment and unemployment. Historians have shown that these boundaries were politically constructed, but economic theory largely treated them as given. Postwar Keynesian models assumed that unemployment was a temporary and measurable condition between spells of stable, high-wage work. However, that assumption rested on a historically specific labor market structure that began to unravel in the 1970s and 1980s. As stable jobs contracted, more workers cycled through precarious employment rather than remaining fully unemployed or finding new stable work. Economic theory responded with new models focused on individual incentives and firm behavior, but these also tended to treat emerging patterns as evidence of how unemployment had always functioned, rather than as signs of a shifting institutional landscape. By tracing how the category of unemployment was constructed and transformed—and how economists responded to those shifts—this article shows how changes in institutional context shape the development of economic thought itself." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Birinci, Serdar, Kurt See & Shu Lin Wee (2025): Job Applications and Labor Market Flows. In: The Review of Economic Studies, Jg. 92, H. 3, S. 1438-1496. DOI:10.1093/restud/rdae064

Abstract

"Job applications have risen over time, yet job-finding rates remain unchanged. Meanwhile, separations have declined. We argue that increased applications raise the probability of a good match rather than the probability of job-finding. Using a search model with multiple applications and costly information, we show that when applications increase, firms invest in identifying good matches, reducing separations. Concurrently, increased congestion and selectivity over which offer to accept temper increases in job-finding rates. Our framework contains testable implications for changes in offers, acceptances, reservation wages, applicants per vacancy, and tenure, objects that enable it to generate the trends in unemployment flows." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brixy, Udo & Martin Murmann (2025): Hiring opportunities for new firms and the business cycle. In: Small business economics, Jg. 64, H. 3, S. 1387-1413., 2024-06-24. DOI:10.1007/s11187-024-00948-6

Abstract

"Whether firms founded during or outside economic crises have greater growth potential is an important question for both prospective entrepreneurs and policy makers. Existing research offers conflicting answers, and mostly either focuses on aggregate cohort-level effects or selectively excludes small new firms from the analyses. Using extensive linked employer-employee data on young German firms around and during the Global Financial Crisis, a period of sharply reduced access to external capital and recession, we show that young firms respond to cyclical conditions in highly heterogeneous ways. Our firm-level results reveal that the average new firm found it easier to hire its first employees when it was founded during the crisis. These firms achieved countercyclical growth by hiring career entrants. More specifically, hiring in very young (<1.5 years) and small to medium-sized (below the 90th percentile) young firms was countercyclical, while this was not the case for older and larger young firms. Thus, the firm-specific effects for young entrepreneurial firms may be very different from those reported in previous research. Our results suggest that market entry during a crisis may facilitate hiring and that policies that promote entrepreneurship may usefully complement policies that encourage labor hoarding by incumbents during recessions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Bryson, Alex & Harald Dale-Olsen (2025): Job search under changing labour taxes. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102750

Abstract

"Workers’ job mobility decisions are related to firms’ wage policies but also depend on tax schedules. Using Norwegian population-wide administrative linked employer-employee data for 2010–2019, we study how the job-to-job turnover of employees is affected by marginal taxes and firms’ pay policies, thus drawing inferences on job search behaviour. By paying higher wages, job-to-job separation rates drop, but this negative relationship is weakened when income taxes increase, consistent with higher taxes reducing search activity. However, consistent with theory, the tax effect is smaller where workers receive performance bonuses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Busch, Anne, Fabienne-Agnes Baumann, Benedikt Krieger, Kerstin Goluchowicz & Sebastian Krusee (2025): Analysepotenziale von OnlineStellenanzeigen und Methoden Maschinellen Lernens am Beispiel der Mindestlohnforschung. Hat der Mindestlohn die Nachfrage von Kompetenzen durch Arbeitgeber verändert? (iit Perspektive / Institut für Innovation und Technik 80), Berlin, 17 S. DOI:10.23776/2025_09

Abstract

"Diese iit-perspektive beleuchtet das Potenzial innovativer Datenzugänge (Online-Stellenanzeigen) und Analysemethoden (Methoden des maschinellen Lernens) für sozialwissenschaftliche Fragestellungen am Beispiel der Mindestlohnforschung. So ist es mit Online-Stellenanzeigen als Datengrundlage beispielsweise möglich zu untersuchen, inwieweit die Einführung bzw. Erhöhung des Mindestlohns die von Arbeitgebern geforderten beruflichen Kompetenzen verändert hat." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Bähr, Sebastian, Matthias Collischon, Stefan Schwarz & Hannah Sinja Steinberg (2025): Die Bereitschaft zu Zugeständnissen bei der Stellensuche nimmt mit sinkender Arbeitslosenquote ab. In: IAB-Forum – Grafik aktuell H. 25.04.2025, 2025-04-15. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.GA.20250425.01

Abstract

"In den vergangenen 15 Jahren nahm die Bereitschaft zu Zugeständnissen bei der Stellensuche kontinuierlich ab. Diese Entwicklung verlief weitgehend parallel zur sinkenden Arbeitslosenquote. Mit dem Anstieg der Arbeitslosenquote im Jahr 2023 zeigt sich – leicht zeitverzögert – auch bei der Konzessionsbereitschaft tendenziell eine Trendwende." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Börschlein, Erik-Benjamin (2025): Essays on Wages and Minimum Wages in Frictional Labor Markets. 237 S. DOI:10.5283/epub.76880

Abstract

"In Deutschland ist das Zusammenspiel zwischen Löhnen und institutionellen sowie marktbedingten Friktionen ein zentrales Thema wirtschaftspolitischer Debatten. Diese Dissertation untersucht in drei empirischen Studien kausale Zusammenhänge zwischen Löhnen und Mindestlöhnen, Matchingfriktionen und Arbeitsmarktanspannung. Die Analysen basieren auf umfangreichen administrativen Daten der Bundesagentur für Arbeit und nutzen fortgeschrittene ökonometrische Methoden zur kausalen Inferenz. Die ersten beiden Kapitel betrachten institutionelle Effekte – insbesondere die Einführung des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns im Jahr 2015 – während das dritte Kapitel den Fokus auf veränderte Marktbedingungen legt, insbesondere den zunehmenden Fachkräftemangel. Ziel ist es, die Wirkungsmechanismen zwischen Löhnen und Arbeitsmarktfriktionen differenziert darzustellen. Kapitel 1 Dieses Kapitel entwickelt einen innovativen Machine-Learning-Ansatz zur verbesserten Schätzung langfristiger Lohneffekte des Mindestlohns. Übliche Studien basieren auf einem fixen Pre-Treatment-Indikator („Bite“), basierend auf Löhnen vor der Politikmaßnahme, der die Betroffenheit von der Mindestlohneinführung nur kurzfristig akkurat abbildet. Um langfristige dynamische Veränderungen zu erfassen, werden hier ein zeitvariable Bite-Indikatoren mittels LASSO-basierter Vorhersagemodelle konstruiert, welche die Inzidenz und die Intensität der Mindestlohnbetroffenheit abbilden. Basierend auf administrativen Daten der Jahre 2010–2014 wird die Mindestlohnbetroffenheit für den Zeitraum 2015–2020 vorhergesagt. In der anschließenden Differenz-von-Differenzen-Analyse zeigen sich signifikant positive Lohneffekte, die im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen Methoden jedoch geringer ausfallen und über die Zeit konstant bleiben. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass traditionelle Evaluierungen die Effekte überschätzen könnten, da sie dynamische Selektionseffekte und mindestlohnunabhängige Lohnentwicklungen nicht ausreichend berücksichtigen. Kapitel 2 In diesem Kapitel wird untersucht, wie sich die Einführung des Mindestlohns auf offene Stellen und damit verbundene Friktionen im Matching-Prozess ausgewirkt hat. Die Analyse basiert auf administrativen Vakanzdaten und Erwerbsbiographien. Die Analyse erfolgt auf der Berufsebenen für den Zeitraum 2013–2019 und nutzt ein Differenz-von-Differenzen-Design. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Anzahl neu gemeldeter Stellen durch die Mindestlohneinführung insgesamt nicht zurückging. Jedoch stieg der Anteil stornierter Vakanzen um 4–9 Prozent, und die Dauer erfolgreicher Besetzungsprozesse erhöhte sich um 5–6 Prozent. Dies deutet auf verstärkte Such- und Matchingfriktionen hin, etwa durch höhere Einstellungsstandards oder reduzierte berufliche Mobilität. Ergänzende Analysen zeigen geringere Übergänge zwischen Arbeitgebern, insbesondere bei Berufswechseln. Somit wird deutlich, dass die Mindestlohneinführung zwar nur geringe Auswirkungen auf die Beschäftigung hatte, aber dennoch Matchingprozesse erheblich beeinflusst hat. Kapitel 3 Dieses Kapitel wechselt die Perspektive und untersucht, wie zunehmende Arbeitsmarktanspannung – gemessen als Verhältnis von offenen Stellen zu Arbeitssuchenden – die Lohnentwicklung beeinflusst hat. Mithilfe eines Leave-One-Out-Instruments wird der kausale Effekt lokaler Arbeitsmarktanspannung in beruflichen Arbeitsmärkten auf Löhne geschätzt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen moderate, aber signifikant positive Lohneffekte, die etwa 7–19 Prozent des realen Lohnwachstums in Deutschland zwischen 2012 und 2022 erklären. Besonders stark profitieren neu Eingestellte, Hochqualifizierte, Beschäftigte im Dienstleistungssektor und Arbeitnehmer in Ostdeutschland. Zudem steigt der Lohn in Niedriglohnunternehmen überdurchschnittlich stark, was auf eine Verringerung der Lohnungleichheit hindeutet. Im Gesamtfazit werden die Erkenntnisse der drei Studien zusammengeführt. Die Arbeit zeigt, wie institutionelle Eingriffe wie der Mindestlohn einerseits Löhne anheben, gleichzeitig aber neue Friktionen erzeugen können. Andererseits können veränderte Marktbedingungen auch ohne staatliche Eingriffe Löhne steigern – wie etwa bei hoher Arbeitsmarktanspannung. Methodisch hebt die Dissertation die Bedeutung administrativer Mikrodaten und robuster kausaler Analyseverfahren in der Arbeitsmarktforschung hervor." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Cai, Xiaoming, Pieter Gautier & Ronald Wolthoff (2025): Search, Screening, and Sorting. In: American Economic Journal. Macroeconomics, Jg. 17, H. 3, S. 205-236. DOI:10.1257/mac.20240026

Abstract

"We examine how search frictions impact labor market sorting by constructing a model consistent with evidence that employers interview a subset of a pool of applicants. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for sorting in applications and matches. Positive sorting is obtained when production complementarities outweigh a counterforce measured by a (novel) quality-quantity elasticity. Interestingly, the threshold for the complementarities depends on the fraction of high-type workers and can be increasing in the number of interviews. Our model shows how policies like Ban the Box can backfire because when screening workers becomes harder, firms may discourage certain workers from applying." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Caldwell, Sydnee, Ingrid Haegele & Jörg Heining (2025): Firm Pay and Worker Search. (IAB-Discussion Paper 04/2025), Nürnberg, 141 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2504

Abstract

"Ob und wie Arbeitnehmer am Arbeitsplatz suchen, hängt von ihren Vorstellungen über die Bezahlung und die Arbeitsbedingungen in anderen Unternehmen ab. Dennoch ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie viel Arbeitnehmer tatsächlich über die Arbeitsentgelte außerhalb ihrer aktuellen Beschäftigung Bescheid wissen. Wir nutzen eine groß angelegte Umfrage unter deutschen Vollzeitbeschäftigten, welche mit Sozialversicherungsdaten verknüpft wurde, um Gehaltserwartungen und Präferenzen gegenüber bestimmten externen Unternehmen zu ermitteln. Arbeitnehmer glauben, dass sie mit erheblicher Heterogenität hinsichtlich der Vergütung bei anderen Unternehmen konfrontiert sind und richten ihre Suche nach einem neuen Arbeitsplatz auf Unternehmen aus, von denen sie ausgehen, dass diese mehr bezahlen. Die von den Arbeitnehmern erwarteten unternehmensspezifischen Lohnaufschläge korrelieren sowohl stark mit den Vergütungsschemata, die sich anhand von administrativen Daten zeigen, als auch mit der Würdigung von firmenspezifischer Annehmlichkeiten. Die meisten Arbeiter sind auch bei einer erheblichen Erhöhung des Gehalts nicht bereit, sich einen neuen Job zu suchen – oder ihr derzeitiges Unternehmen zu verlassen. Die Kosten eines Jobwechsel betragen zwischen 7 und 18 Prozent des Jahreslohns eines Arbeitnehmers. Die Zugehörigkeit zu einem Arbeitgeber variiert je nach Arbeitgeber und kann nicht anhand von Unterschieden in firmenspezifischen Annehmlichkeiten oder den Kosten des Jobwechsels erklärt werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Carlini, Giacomo (2025): Essays in Macroeconomics and Labor Economics. 147 S.

Abstract

"The first chapter investigates why assortative matching between workers and firms is stronger in large cities than in small cities. I develop a search and matching model with heterogeneous workers and firms to examine how worker composition and labor market frictions affect sorting. Calibrating the model to German employer-employee data, I find that matching efficiency is key to explaining differences in assortative matching across cities. This effect is amplified by a more dispersed worker productivity dispersion. The model shows that around 5% of the GDP gap between large and small cities is attributable to differences in assortative matching, underscoring the role of local labor market frictions and productivity distributions in spatial inequality. The second chapter explores how task-biased technological adoption affects GDP gaps across countries. We introduce a country-specific measure of task intensity and document that as GDP increases, routine work declines while cognitive work rises. Moreover, differences in task content within occupations explain over half of the cross-country differences in routine work. Using a production framework where technology is task-specific and occupations are aggregates of tasks, we estimate task-specific productivities across countries. A counterfactual exercise suggests that reducing dispersion in task-biased technology adoption could shrink the average GDP gap with the United States by 25%. The third chapter examines sectoral labor productivity growth in the U.S. over 50 years, highlighting routine- and skill-biased technical change. I show that routine labor productivity has grown fastest, with skill-biased technical change benefiting skilled workers while unskilled productivity declined, especially in services. Finally, to disentangle the role of different labor-augmenting technological change, I extend the framework to account for heterogeneity in both occupations and skills." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cheregi, Valentina Ioana (2025): Is labor matching effectiveness dependent on education level, age or gender? In: Baltic journal of economics, Jg. 25, H. 1, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/1406099x.2024.2442841

Abstract

"This paper explores the role of employment pool composition on labor matching effectiveness in ten Central and Eastern European countries from 2005 to 2023. We control for the structure of the labor force in terms of education, age, and gender. The results point towards a significant impact of labor force structure on labor market outcomes. In particular, an improvement in labor matching is associated with a larger share of the labor force with advanced education. In contrast, the opposite is true for the share of women and younger persons in the labor force. The results are robust to different specifications of the model when we control for the role of institutional factors in regulating national labor markets. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the need for targeted policies to increase the efficiency of the matching process aimed at specific structures of the labor force." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Coban, Mustafa (2025): IAB-Monitor Jobsuche: Jede siebte Person in abhängiger Beschäftigung sucht aktiv nach einem anderen Job. In: IAB-Forum – Grafik aktuell H. 09.04.2025. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.GA.20250409.01

Abstract

"Der neue IAB-Monitor Jobsuche gibt einen Einblick in die unterjährige Arbeitssuche von Beschäftigten und Arbeitslosen. Demnach suchten im Jahr 2024 zwei Drittel der Arbeitslosen und fast jede siebte Person in abhängiger Beschäftigung aktiv nach einer (anderen) Stelle." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Corradini, Carlo, David Morris & Enrico Vanino (2025): Marshallian agglomeration, labour pooling and skills matching. In: Cambridge Journal of Economics, Jg. 49, H. 3, S. 527-557. DOI:10.1093/cje/beaf010

Abstract

"Better skills matching has long been proposed as one of the key advantages of agglomeration economies. Yet, support for this improved matching has remained largely founded upon indirect proxies for skills such as wages and education. This paper contributes to the literature by offering novel empirical evidence on the relationship between specific measures of localised skills deficiencies and agglomeration economies, in the form of industrial density. Developing an instrumental variable approach and controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and other region-industry idiosyncratic effects across a panel dataset for the period 2009–2019 in England and Wales, our analysis reveals a positive effect of agglomeration economies in reducing both skills gaps within the employed workforce and skills shortages in the labour market external to the firm. We consider these findings in the context of persistent regional imbalances and the importance of strengthening skills provision within current regional industrial strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cullen, Julie Berry, Gordon B. Dahl & Richard De Thorpe (2025): Job Mismatch and Early Career Success. (CESifo working paper 12104), München, 47 S.

Abstract

"How does being over- or underqualified at the beginning of a worker's career affect skill acquisition, retention, and promotion? Despite the importance of mismatch for the labor market, self-selection into jobs has made estimating these effects difficult. We overcome endogeneity concerns in the context of the US Air Force, which allocates new enlistees to over 130 different jobs based, in part, on test scores. Using these test scores, we create simulated job assignments based on factors outside of an individual's control: the available slots in upcoming training programs and the quality of other recruits entering at the same time. These factors create quasi-random variation in job assignment and hence how cognitively demanding an individual's job is relative to their own ability. We find that being overqualified for a job causes higher attrition, both during technical training and afterward when individuals are working in their assigned jobs. It also results in more behavioral problems, worse performance evaluations, and lower scores on general knowledge tests about the military taken by all workers. On the other hand, overqualification results in better performance relative to others in the same job: job-specific test scores rise both during technical training and while on the job, and these individuals are more likely to be promoted. Combined, these patterns suggest that overqualified individuals are less motivated, but still outperform others in their same job. Underqualification results in a polar opposite set of findings, suggesting these individuals are motivated to put forth more effort, but still struggle to compete when judged relative to others. Consistent with differential incentives, individuals who are overqualified are in jobs which are less valuable in terms of outside earnings potential, while the reverse is true for those who are underqualified." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dauth, Wolfgang, Andreas Mense & Katja Wolf (2025): Regionaler Mismatch: Arbeitskräftemobilität steigern. In: Wirtschaftsdienst, Jg. 105, H. 10, S. 690-690., 2025-10-16. DOI:10.2478/wd-2025-0176

Abstract

"Arbeitslose und passende offene Stellen sind in Deutschland oft räumlich voneinander getrennt. Die dynamischsten Arbeitsmärkte finden sich in Großstädten wie Berlin, Hamburg, München und generell im Süden, wo die sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung stetig wächst. Demgegenüber stehen hohe Arbeitslosenquoten in Städten wie Gelsenkirchen oder Bremerhaven, sowie in ländlichen Regionen Ostdeutschlands, Nordrhein-Westfalens und Niedersachsens. Andrea Nahles, Vorstandsvorsitzende der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, betonte auf der diesjährigen Tagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik, dass die geringe Mobilität – vor allem infolge von Wohnungsknappheit in den Ballungsräumen – die Vermittlung von Arbeitskräften erschwere." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Engler, Jan, Armin Mertens & Oliver Stettes (2025): Arbeitsplatzattraktivität: Zwischen Wunsch und Versprechen. Eine Analyse auf Basis der IW-Beschäftigtenbefragung und Online-Stellenanzeigen. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,53), Köln, 50 S.

Abstract

"Auch wenn die Arbeitsnachfrage in jüngster Vergangenheit gesunken ist und die Arbeitslosigkeit zugenommen hat, wodurch ein potenziell größeres Arbeitsangebot besteht, fällt es Unternehmen weiterhin schwer, offene Stellen adäquat zu besetzen. Zusätzlich wird, bedingt durch den demografischen Wandel, auch der Mangel an Fachkräften mit qualifizierter Berufsausbildung in den kommenden Jahren weiter zunehmen. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich die Frage, wie Unternehmen sich im Ringen um qualifiziertes Personal behaupten können. Betriebliche Zusatzleistungen, die über das Gehalt hinausgehen, können bei der Entscheidung von Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern den Unterschied machen. Hierbei stellt sich die Frage, was Arbeitgeber aus Sicht von Beschäftigten attraktiv macht, und mit welchen Arbeitsplatzmerkmalen Unternehmen werben, um sich von Wettbewerbern um Arbeitskräfte abzuheben. Auf Basis der IW-Beschäftigtenbefragung 2024 und einer KI-gestützten Analyse von Stellenanzeigen untersucht die Studie die Diskrepanz zwischen den Arbeitsplatzpräferenzen von Beschäftigten und den von Unternehmen beworbenen Merkmalen. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass Arbeitsplatzmerkmale wie Beschäftigungssicherheit, die Möglichkeit, Wissen und Können einzubringen, kurze Pendelzeiten, betriebliche Altersversorgung und eine Tarifbindung sowohl von Beschäftigten als auch in Stellenanzeigen häufig genannt werden. Unterschiede in Präferenzen bestehen je nach Geschlecht, Alter, Grad der Behinderung und Qualifikationsniveau. Für jüngere Beschäftigte sind Angebote in der betrieblichen Altersversorgung besonders relevant, für ältere dagegen eine Tarifbindung des Betriebs. Beide Merkmale werden auch von Menschen mit Behinderung als wichtig erachtet. Wechselbereite Beschäftigte zeigen keine signifikant anderen Präferenzen. Mit guten Transformationserfahrungen beim bisherigen Arbeitgeber steigen die Ansprüche. Auch wenn das Muster von Arbeitsplatzmerkmalen, die in Stellenausschreibungen beworben werden, in großen Teilen dem Bewertungsraster von Beschäftigten entspricht, fällt bei der Gegenüberstellung auf, dass mit einer leistungsabhängigen Vergütung und großen Entscheidungsspielräumen zwei Charakteristika zwar einen hohen Stellenwert bei Beschäftigten einnehmen, von Unternehmen aber nur relativ zurückhaltend hervorgehoben werden. Hier stellt sich die Frage, ob eine leistungsabhängige Vergütung als Teilkomponente des Gehalts erst im Nachgang zu erfolgten Bewerbungen und im Rahmen von Vorstellungsgesprächen genannt wird. Ebenso bleibt die Frage offen, ob große Entscheidungsspielräume eher implizit von Unternehmen kommuniziert werden (z. B. im Verbund mit der Stellenbezeichnung Führungskraft, Leitung etc.) und deshalb methodisch schwerer erfasst werden können. Insgesamt zeigt die Analyse deutliche Unterschiede sowohl innerhalb der Präferenzen von Beschäftigten als auch in den beworbenen Arbeitsplatzmerkmalen in Stellenanzeigen auf. Da sich diese Präferenzen sowohl nach Alter, Geschlecht, Grad der Behinderung und Qualifikationsniveau, aber auch hinsichtlich der Branchenzugehörigkeit, Führungsverantwortung und KI-Einsatz zum Teil deutlich unterscheiden, sollten Unternehmen bei der Gestaltung von Stellenanzeigen die Präferenzen spezifischer Beschäftigtengruppen bewusst sein. Die Studie liefert wichtige Hinweise darauf, wo Unternehmen die Wünsche potenzieller Bewerberinnen und Bewerber bereits adäquat berücksichtigen und wo noch Potenziale bestehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Forsythe, Eliza & Russell Weinstein (2025): Recruiting Intensity, Hires, and Vacancies: Evidence from Firm-Level Data. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 135, H. 669, S. 1734-1748. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueaf002

Abstract

"We investigate employer recruiting behaviour, using detailed firm-level data from a national survey of employers hiring recent college graduates. We find this behaviour is responsive to the business cycle, beliefs about labour market tightness, and the intended number of hires. Specifically, employers adjust planned recruiting effort and compensation. We then show that when firms expend greater recruiting effort they ultimately hire more individuals per vacancy. These results suggest that when firms want to increase hires they adjust both the quantity of vacancies and the recruiting intensity per vacancy. If this is true more broadly in the labour market, it may help explain the breakdown in the standard matching function during the Great Recession." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fuchs, Larissa, Matthias Heinz, Pia Pinger & Max Thon (2025): How to Attract Talent? Field-Experimental Evidence on Emphasizing Flexibility and Career Opportunities in Job Advertisements. (CEPR discussion paper / Centre for Economic Policy Research 20916), London, 80 S.

Abstract

"We conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a leading technology firm to study how highlighting flexibility and career advancement in job advertisements causally affects the applicant pool. Highlighting career advancement increases the number of applications from men for entry-level positions and attracts additional applicants with strong qualifications and a good fit, which in turn leads to more interview invitations. By contrast, highlighting flexibility increases applications from both women and men at the entry level but provides limited evidence of attracting higher-quality or better-fit applicants. A complementary survey experiment among STEM students shows how job advertisements shape beliefs about the firm’s job characteristics and work environment. Overall, our results show that the amenities firms choose to highlight can powerfully influence both the size and characteristics of their applicant pool." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Garibaldi, Pietro, Pedro Gomes & Thepthida Sopraseuth (2025): Output costs of education and skill mismatch in OECD countries. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 250. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112278

Abstract

"We quantify the output costs of education and skills mismatch for 17 OECD economies, using a calibrated model of vertical mismatch. Eliminating the frictions generating mismatch would raise output by 3% to 4% on average, varying between 0.5% to 9% across countries. Although the education and skill mismatch measures are constructed using different methods and differ in size, the output costs are similar between the two measures." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Goller, Daniel, Christian Gschwendt & Stefan C. Wolter (2025): This time it’s different – Generative artificial intelligence and occupational choice. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 95. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102746

Abstract

"We show the causal influence of the launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of ChatGPT on the search behavior of young people for apprenticeship vacancies. To estimate the short- and medium-term effects, we use a variety of methods, including a difference-in-discontinuity approach exploiting the exogenous nature of the unanticipated launch of ChatGPT in 2022. There is a strong short- and medium-term decline in the intensity of searches for vacancies, indicating a notable reduction in the supply of young people actively seeking apprenticeships and suggesting great uncertainty among the affected cohort. Occupations with a high proportion of cognitive tasks and with high demands on language skills were particularly affected by the decline. Interestingly, the revealed preferences in the search behavior of young job seekers contrasted with previous expert assessments on the automation risks of occupations and aligned with the most recent assessments of the AI and language model exposure of occupations – before these new assessments existed. Notably, while the supply decline did not reduce the number of signed apprenticeship contracts, we find evidence of declining applicant quality, particularly for commercial employees, the most widely offered apprenticeship in Switzerland." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Grau, Katrin, Ute Leber & Barbara Schwengler (2025): Fast sechs von zehn Betrieben gingen im ersten Halbjahr 2024 Kompromisse bei der Einstellung von Fachkräften ein. In: IAB-Forum H. 10.12.2025, 2025-12-05. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20251210.01

Abstract

"Die Rekrutierung von Fachkräften stellt die Betriebe weiterhin vor große Herausforderungen. Viele Stellen für qualifizierte Tätigkeiten bleiben unbesetzt, und auch wenn Betriebe Personal einstellen, entspricht deren Profil nicht immer den betrieblichen Vorstellungen. Daher geht der Großteil der Betriebe bei der Einstellung von Fachkräften Kompromisse ein. Besonders häufig akzeptieren sie einen höheren Einarbeitungsaufwand." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Guo, Junjie (2025): Estimation of the wage offer distribution using both accepted and rejected offers. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 96. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102756

Abstract

"This paper estimates the wage offer distribution using workers who received multiple offers in a short period of time, including both accepted and rejected offers. We show that, after accounting for worker heterogeneity and measurement error, each wage offer is a random draw from the same distribution, and a normal distribution with a standard deviation of 0.137 is consistent with data. The dispersion is smaller than most estimates in the literature, increasing in the unemployment rate for workers without a bachelor’s degree, but not significantly related to a worker’s age or employment status." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Kline, Patrick (2025): Labor Market Monopsony: Fundamentals and Frontiers. (RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2025,36), Berlin, 82 S.

Abstract

"This chapter reviews the theory of monopsonistic wage setting, its empirical implications, and some puzzles the framework has struggled to explain. We begin by examining the fundamentals of monopsonistic wage determination. The core of the theory is a mapping from the distribution of worker outside options to wages. We study non-parametric shape restrictions that ensure this mapping is unique. Building on these results, we introduce a menu of tractable parametrizations of labor supply to the firm, some of which are shown to emerge naturally from equilibrium search models. Next, we review why wage markdowns do not necessarily signal inefficiency and discuss some criteria for assessing misallocation in a monopsony model with search frictions. Turning to the model’s empirical implications, we examine how the magnitude of productivity-wage passthrough depends on the super-elasticity of labor supply to the firm and establish that compensating differentials for firm amenities depend on the curvature of the outside option distribution. We show that firm-specific shifts in either productivity or amenities can be used as instruments to identify labor supply elasticities and review strategies for estimating non-constant elasticities. We then consider extensions of the basic model involving third-degree wage discrimination and examine their ability to rationalize patterns of worker-firm sorting. Monopsony models traditionally assume that firms commit to posted wages. Relaxing this assumption, we develop a connection between the first-order conditions of the monopsony model and models of bargaining with incomplete information. These models explain why bilateral inefficiencies may persist in the presence of negotiation, yield predictions about the response of within-firm wage dispersion to productivity shocks, and suggest reasons why some productivity shifters may not constitute excludable instruments. Next, we endogenize productivity by allowing for efficiency wages, non-constant returns to scale, and price-cost markups. Empirical monopsony estimates often suggest that firms enjoy implausibly large profit margins. We argue that allowing for non-constant labor supply elasticities and firm adjustment costs can potentially resolve this difficulty. Finally, we review why the strong passthrough of minimum wages to product prices presents a challenging puzzle for standard monopsony models and discuss potential reconciliations to this puzzle involving firm heterogeneity, quality upgrading, and lumpy price adjustment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lalé, Etienne (2025): Search and multiple jobholding. In: Economic Theory, Jg. 80, H. 3, S. 891-939. DOI:10.1007/s00199-025-01647-3

Abstract

"This paper develops an equilibrium model of the labor market that incorporates hours worked, off- and on-the-job search, and both single and multiple jobholders. Central to the model’s mechanism is that taking on a second job ties the worker to her primary employer, while simultaneously providing the worker with a stronger outside option when bargaining with the secondary employer. The model quantitatively accounts for both the incidence of multiple jobholding and worker flows in and out of second jobs. It also sheds light on how multiple jobholding shapes outcomes that are typically the focus of search models. Multiple jobholding has opposing effects on job-to-job transitions, which largely offset each other. At the same time, the option of holding second jobs extends the survival of a worker’s main job, thereby reducing job separations and increasing the employment rate. These findings have significant implications for calibrating standard search models that ignore multiple jobholding." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lisi, Gaetano (2025): Homeownership and (un)employment: Search theory and empirical evidence from a system GMM. In: Economics Bulletin, Jg. 45, H. 4, S. 1723-1734.

Abstract

"This paper suggests that the sign of the relation between homeownership and (un)employment changes according to both the type of homeowner and the market considered. In the housing market, employment positively affects homeownership with a mortgage (home search), whereas, in the labour market, outright homeownership negatively affects employment (job search). A panel analysis (on 27 European countries for the period 2014-2023) confirms the theoretical hypotheses. An augmented Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) version, known as “system GMM”, is used to tackle endogeneity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mandemakers, Luuk, Eva Jaspers & Tanja van der Lippe (2025): Workplace variation in migrant job searches: cohesion unites, bonuses do not divide. In: European Societies, S. 1-46. DOI:10.1162/euso.a.70

Abstract

"Dutch workplaces suffer from labor shortages and interest in diverse workforces is growing, making the retention of employees with a migration background vital. Yet, migrant employees continue to experience exclusion in the workplace, making them more prone to search for different jobs than non-migrant employees. This article is novel as it locates drivers of migrant job searches at the organizational level and examines the impact of indicators of relative distances between groups within organizations. First it assesses whether workplace cohesion mitigates differences between migrant and non-migrant employees, as cohesion may reduce intergroup distances through positive inter-ethnic contact. Second, it is examined whether workplaces that divide resources through bonus payment systems have lager job search disparities, as in such workplaces individual performance based incentives may reinforce intergroup conflict. Using unique employer-employee linked data from the Netherlands, this research finds that migrants search for jobs more often than non-migrants, that being part of cohesive workplaces as a migrant mitigates this gap and that the prevalence of bonus payment systems has no effect. To retain migrant employees and to improve the diversity of workforces, organizations should invest in increasing workplace cohesion. Further implications for theory, research and practice are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Manning, Alan (2025): The Immobile Incumbent Problem in a Model of Short-Term Wage-Posting. In: German Economic Review, Jg. 26, H. 4, S. 315-360. DOI:10.1515/ger-2024-0127

Abstract

"This paper takes the canonical Burdett-Mortensen model of wage-posting and relaxes the assumption that wages are set once-for-all, instead assuming they can only be committed one period at a time. It derives a closed-form solution for a steady-state Markov Rank-Preserving Equilibrium and shows how this relates to the canonical model and performs some comparative statics on it. But it is shown that a Rank-Preserving Equilibrium may fail to exist because employers have more monopsony power over existing workers than new recruits and that this non-existence can be a problem for plausible parameter values. It is shown how a Rank-Inverting Equilibrium may exist. It is argued that this problem is likely to occur in a wide range of search models." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mavrigiannakis, Konstantinos, Andreas Vasilatos & Eugenia Vella (2025): Fiscal tightening and skills mismatch. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 174. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.104984

Abstract

"The paper establishes a new link between fiscal tightening and the vertical skills mismatch rate, defined as the share of over-qualified workers. Using cross-country evidence for Europe, we show that fiscal tightening can increase skills mismatch. We then introduce the latter in a DSGE model with heterogeneous households, capital-skill complementarity (CSC) and labor frictions. We calibrate the model for Greece, where the over-qualification rate exceeds one-third. A fiscal tightening shock raises the mismatch rate in the model, in line also with SVAR analysis. Skills mismatch can act as a buffer for high-skilled workers during recessions induced by tax shocks and is more counter-cyclical when CSC is weak. We also use the model to conduct welfare and policy analyses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Mense, Andreas & Katja Wolf (2025): Beschäftigungsaufnahmen von Personen in der Grundsicherung: Entfernung zwischen bisherigem Wohnort und Arbeitsort. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 16/2025), Nürnberg, 26 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2516

Abstract

"Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller Reformüberlegungen zur Zumutbarkeit von Arbeit nach § 10 SGB II untersucht dieser Forschungsbericht, welche Entfernungen zwischen Wohnort und Arbeitsort bei Beschäftigungsaufnahmen von Personen im Grundsicherungsbezug typischerweise auftreten. Im Fokus stehen dabei systematische Unterschiede nach Personengruppen. Grundlage der Analysen sind administrative Daten aus den Integrierten Erwerbsbiografien (IEB) und der Leistungshistorik Grundsicherung (LHG) für das Jahr 2022. Untersucht werden erwerbsfähige Leistungsberechtigte im SGB II, die aus dem Grundsicherungsbezug heraus eine sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung aufgenommen haben. Ergänzend werden Befragungsdaten aus der ersten Welle des Online-Panel for Labour Market Research (OPAL) des IAB verwendet, um das beobachtete Verhalten mit den Selbstangaben von Grundsicherungsbeziehenden zu ihrem Arbeitssuchverhalten abzugleichen. Die Mehrheit nimmt eine Beschäftigung in Wohnortnähe auf. In 69 Prozent der Fälle liegt der Arbeitsort weniger als 15 km entfernt, in 17 Prozent zwischen 15 und 50 km. Gleichzeitig nimmt ein nicht unerheblicher Anteil auch größere Distanzen in Kauf: In 8,7 % der Fälle liegt der neue Arbeitsort mehr als 100 km vom bisherigen Wohnort entfernt. Die durchschnittliche Entfernung variiert deutlich zwischen unterschiedlichen Personengruppen. Alleinerziehende, Eltern minderjähriger Kinder, Ältere sowie Personen mit gesundheitlichen Einschränkungen nehmen im Mittel kürzere Distanzen in Kauf. Auch Teilzeitbeschäftigte verbleiben häufiger in der Nähe ihres bisherigen Wohnorts. Umgekehrt nehmen junge, alleinstehende oder hochqualifizierte Personen im Mittel Arbeitsstellen in durchschnittlich größerer Entfernung an. Ähnliche Unterschiede zeigen sich auch bei der Wahrscheinlichkeit, eine Beschäftigung in mehr als 100 km Entfernung aufzunehmen. Die meisten dürften dafür umziehen. Die Analysen basieren auf multivariaten Regressionsmodellen, die eine Vielzahl potenziell relevanter Merkmale kontrollieren. Die Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen bleiben auch nach Kontrolle dieser Merkmale bestehen und decken sich mit den Ausnahmeregelungen des § 10 Abs. 2 SGB II. Diese sehen vor, dass bei der Prüfung der Zumutbarkeit persönliche, familiäre und gesundheitliche Gründe zu berücksichtigen sind. Die OPAL-Befragungsdaten bestätigen diese Befunde tendenziell. So zeigen sich ähnliche gruppenspezifische Muster bei der Selbsteinschätzung zur Bereitschaft, längere Pendelzeiten oder einen Umzug in Kauf zu nehmen. Frauen, ältere Personen, Alleinerziehende und Personen, die eine Teilzeitbeschäftigung suchen, geben seltener an, für eine Stelle über 60 Minuten pendeln oder umziehen zu wollen. Gleichzeitig zeigen Personen mit Hochschulabschluss sowie ausländischer Staatsangehörigkeit eine höhere Bereitschaft zu räumlicher Mobilität. Die in den administrativen Daten erkennbaren Unterschiede in den Entfernungen zwischen Wohn- und Arbeitsort lassen sich also durch Unterschiede im Arbeitssuchverhalten plausibel erklären. Diese Befunde lassen sich weniger als Folge der aktuellen gesetzlichen Ausnahmeregelungen interpretieren, sondern vielmehr als deren empirische Grundlage: Denn § 10 SGB II trägt den gruppenspezifisch variierenden Mobilitätsmöglichkeiten Rechnung. Die Ausnahmetatbestände in § 10 SGB II wurden eben gerade deshalb geschaffen, weil Alleinerziehende und andere räumlich weniger mobile Personen seltener weite Pendelwege oder einen Umzug in Kauf nehmen können oder wollen. Es erscheint daher sinnvoll, bestehende Mobilitätshemmnisse gezielt abzubauen, die Bereitschaft zu überregionaler Mobilität bei der Vermittlung zu berücksichtigen und so individuelle Vermittlungsstrategien zu stärken. Zudem sollte die Politik die institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen – etwa Möglichkeiten zur Kinderbetreuung, den Wohnungsmarkt, und die Verkehrssituation – in den Blick nehmen, um die Mobilitätsbereitschaft zu erhöhen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Mutter, Anna, Jasmin Afrahi & Thomas Armbrüster (2025): What makes a good place to work? The effect of internal corporate social responsibility on word-of-mouth for employers. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 11, S. 1807-1833. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2025.2534339

Abstract

"Word-of-mouth for employers (WOME; i.e., employees talking positively about their employer organization) is a valuable corporate means of recruitment in times of employee shortage and war for talent. However, research on the determinants of WOME is fragmented, and the identification of success factors is incomplete. Based on research on word-of-mouth mechanisms and social exchange theory, which explains exchange relationships between sender and receiver, we elaborate on a model of WOME that comprises classic and emerging factors of workplace attractiveness (monetary compensation, work environment, and workplace fun) and internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR). We hypothesize that ICSR exhibits the greatest explanatory power for WOME. We tested our assumption with a data set of 132,995 participants from 13 industrial sectors in Germany and ran a multiple linear regression analysis with four independent variables and WOME as the dependent variable. ICSR proved to have the greatest effect on WOME, which we consider a result of employees’ interest in a fair exchange relationship with their employers, followed by workplace fun, the work environment, and monetary compensation. We discuss the results in terms of the above-mentioned theories and point out directions for future research as well as practical implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Naraidoo, Ruthira & Juan Paez-Farrell (2025): Business cycle models with labour market frictions: the role of the matching function. (Sheffield economic research paper series / The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics 2025006), Sheffield, 25 S.

Abstract

"Standard business cycle models with search and matching frictions in the labour market increasingly rely on the assumption that firms face hiring, as opposed to, search costs in recruiting workers. We show that although this modification im-proves the model's empirical performance, it causes the matching function to play no role in macroeconomic dynamics. Assuming both costs can overcome this short-coming but for reasonable parameter values it implies that matching efficiency shocks have no effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nichols, Bethany J., David S. Pedulla & Jeff T. Sheng (2025): More Than a Match: “Fit” as a Tool in Hiring Decisions. In: Work and occupations, Jg. 52, H. 2, S. 175-203. DOI:10.1177/07308884231214279

Abstract

"The concept of “fit” has become important for understanding hiring decisions and labor market outcomes. While social scientists have explored how fit functions as a legitimized evaluative criterion to match candidates to jobs in the hiring process, less is known about how fit functions as a hiring tool to aid in decision-making when hiring decisions cannot—or should not—be justified. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 53 hiring professionals, we develop a theoretical argument that hiring professionals can use fit as a tool to circumvent legitimized hiring criteria and justify their hiring goals. Specifically, we show how hiring professionals use fit as a tool to explain their hiring decisions when these decisions cannot or should not be justified and we outline two mechanisms through which this process occurs: (1) fit as a tool for circumventing human capital concerns, and (2) fit as a tool to circumvent hiring policies based upon social characteristics. We argue that fit is more than an evaluative criterion for matching individuals to jobs. Hiring professionals deploy fit as a tool to justify their decisions amid uncertainty and constraint. Fit, then, becomes a placeholder when these hiring decisions are not able to be justified through legitimized means. Our findings reveal some of the potential negative consequences of using fit during the hiring process and contribute important theoretical insights about the role of fit in scholarship on inequality and labor markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Platonov, Konstantin (2025): Post-pandemic recovery: Search and matching, market power, and endogenous labor demand. In: Economic Modelling, Jg. 151. DOI:10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107183

Abstract

"Following the COVID-19 pandemic, United States (US) output rebounded quickly, labor productivity rose above pre-pandemic levels, profit rates increased, and the labor market tightened, all despite high unemployment. These observations can be reconciled in a search and matching model of the labor market with two new assumptions of strong firm market power and endogenous labor demand. Market power encourages firm entry when prices rise, while endogenous labor demand enables firms to adapt to shocks rather than shut down. Two regimes arise: one with weak market power, representing the pre-pandemic era and another with strong market power, explaining the post-pandemic recovery. Under strong market power, firm entry drives recovery following recessions, the labor market becomes tight, wages and producer prices rise, and the average firm size shrinks, which is consistent with the post-pandemic data. This study demonstrates how a typical business cycle can be reconciled with US post-pandemic recovery within a unified model, highlighting the non-trivial role of firms’ market power in shaping macroeconomic outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Porter, Caitlin M., Pol Solanelles, Kristin L. Cullen‐Lester, Ashley Howell Pearson & Juan Du (2025): A Tale of Two Job Searches: An Integrative Review of How Job Seeker Characteristics Shape Informal Job Search Effectiveness. In: Journal of organizational behavior, S. 1-25. DOI:10.1002/job.2864

Abstract

"Informal job search—the use of personal and professional networks for job search—is a popular job search method. Yet, answers to the questions of whether informal job search is effective (relative to formal job search) and why have not been clearly articulated, hindering research progress and limiting practical recommendations for job seekers and institutions. We endeavored to address these questions via an integrative, interdisciplinary review of how job search methods (i.e., formal vs. informal) and forms of social capital (i.e., types of contacts and tie strength) relate to job search outcomes (i.e., finding a job vs. finding quality employment), and we summarize evidence for the role of job seeker characteristics as key contingencies on this process. In doing so, we uncover “a tale of two job searches,” wherein informal job search effectiveness is dependent upon job seeker characteristics that impart status within the labor market and/or society. Collectively, our review provides much-needed clarity regarding whether an informal job search is better than a formal job search and why , revealing that answers to these questions depend on who is searching for a job. Considering these insights, we outline an agenda for future research focused on enhancing job seekers' access to social networks and integrating job search and social network perspectives to extend knowledge of how different types of job seekers can more effectively utilize their networks for job search." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Rendon, Silvio (2025): Testing for wage-specific search intensity. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 59. DOI:10.1186/s12651-024-00389-4

Abstract

"Most job search intensity models assume uniform search effort across all potential wage offers. I depart from this conventional assumption by proposing that agents allocate wage-specific search intensity, strategically avoiding effort on low-paying, unacceptable jobs or high-paying, improbable ones. This alternative model generates wage distributions at acceptance that differ markedly from the truncated distributions typical of models with constant arrival rates for wage offers. I leverage these distinct empirical predictions to develop two new nonparametric tests, applied to NLSY97 data, both of which reject the hypothesis of constant search intensity across wages. Furthermore, I estimate the structural parameters identifiable in each model, revealing that wage-specific search leads to greater total search effort, faster transitions into the upper tail of the wage distribution, and ultimately higher accepted wages—more than a 25% increase following unemployment. For low wages, the classic random search model delivers a fair replication of the actual data, but for higher wages targeted search is better. Wage-specific search suggests that job seekers not only need to search more, but also search better. This insight has important implications for employment policy, particularly in promoting job search literacy among the unemployed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rinne, Ulf (2025): Anonymous job applications and hiring discrimination. Blind recruitment can level the playing field in access to jobs but cannot prevent all forms of discrimination. (IZA world of labor 48,3), Bonn, o. Sz. DOI:10.15185/izawol.48.v3

Abstract

"Anonymisierte Bewerbungsverfahren sind potenziell geeignet, Einstellungshindernisse aufgrund von Diskriminierung einzelner Arbeitsmarktgruppen abzubauen. Bei effektiver Umsetzung sorgen solche Verfahren für Chancengleichheit im Bewerbungsprozess, da sie den Fokus der Personalentscheider auf die Qualifikationen und Fähigkeiten der Bewerber lenken. Allerdings sind anonyme Bewerbungen weder in allen Fällen sinnvoll umsetzbar, noch können sie jegliche Form der Bewerberdiskriminierung verhindern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Roux, Etienne, Gavin Beccaria & Peter McIlveen (2025): The role of cognitive flexibility in job search behaviour: a research agenda. In: International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Jg. 25, H. 3, S. 1347-1364. DOI:10.1007/s10775-024-09669-4

Abstract

"This conceptual paper proposes the Cognitive Flexibility Job Search Self-Efficacy (CF-JSSE) model, aimed at exploring the understudied role of cognitive flexibility in job search behavior. Cognitive flexibility, a crucial attribute in today’s complex employment market, is posited as a core intrapersonal process moderating relationships between dispositional traits, learning experiences and job search self-efficacy. This research agenda, integrating vocational, neuropsychological and personality psychology, strives to enrich our understanding of job search behaviors and career development." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Sharma, Prateek (2025): Job market signalling: game theory and bidding strategies. In: Applied Economics Letters, S. 1-5. DOI:10.1080/13504851.2025.2570861

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Sielschott, Stephan, Oliver Lauxen & Christa Larsen (2025): Betriebliche Ausbildung. IAB-Betriebspanel Report Hessen 2024. (IAB-Betriebspanel Hessen 2/2024), Frankfurt am Main, 24 S.

Abstract

"In den kommenden Jahren gehen in Deutschland und in Hessen viele Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer aus den geburtenstarken Jahrgängen in den Ruhestand, während kleinere Alterskohorten nachrücken. Bis zum Jahr 2030 könnten in Hessen gut 240.000 Fachkräfte fehlen. Zwei Drittel davon werden voraussichtlich Fachkräfte mit Berufsabschluss und ein Drittel Fachkräfte mit akademischem Abschluss sein. Gleichzeitig wird bei den Arbeitskräften ohne Berufs- oder Studienabschluss ein Überhang von knapp 18.000 Personen prognostiziert (Larsen et al. 2024). Für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft ergibt sich somit die doppelte Herausforderung, einerseits die Gewinnung und Bindung von Fachkräften mit Berufs- oder Studienabschluss zu organisieren und andererseits Arbeitslosigkeit bei Arbeitskräften ohne Berufs- und Studienabschluss entgegenzuwirken. Die Berufsausbildung bildet ein zentrales Handlungsfeld bezüglich beider Herausforderungen. Das von der Hessischen Landesregierung initiierte und im April 2025 bis 2029 verlängerte „Bündnis Ausbildung Hessen“ zielt ausdrücklich darauf ab, Fachkräftesicherung durch duale berufliche Ausbildung voranzutreiben. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt dabei auf der „Unterstützung von individuell oder strukturell benachteiligten Menschen, die am Übergang von der Schule in den Beruf oft vor zusätzlichen Herausforderungen stehen“ (Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Verkehr, Wohnen und ländlichen Raum 2025). In Deutschland ist die Zahl der neu abgeschlossenen Verträge für duale Ausbildungsstellen im Jahr 2023 im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um 3 Prozent gestiegen, in Hessen sogar um 6 Prozent auf knapp 36.000. Dabei nahm die Anzahl der Neuverträge in Industrie und Handel um 6 Prozent, im Handwerk sogar um 7 Prozent zu. Das Vor-Corona-Niveau konnte damit aber immer noch nicht wieder erreicht werden. Abermals zurückgegangen – in Hessen wie im Bund – ist die Zahl der dual ausbildenden Betriebe. In Hessen ist der Rückgang um 1 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahr auf gut 30.000 Betriebe allein auf Kleinstbetriebe mit bis zu 9 Beschäftigten zurückzuführen (Kuse 2024). Hier stellt sich die Frage, inwieweit Betriebe nicht ausbilden dürfen oder wollen und welche Gründe sie ggf. für ihren Ausbildungsverzicht geltend machen. Der Berufsbildungsbericht 2024 zeigt für den Bund, dass Betriebe mit freien Ausbildungsplätzen und noch unversorgte Bewerbende im Jahr 2023 häufig nicht zueinander gefunden haben (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 2024). Ohne Ausbildungsplatz und in der Folge ohne beruflichen Abschluss bleiben insbesondere junge Erwachsene, die keinen Schulabschluss erreicht haben. Das hat Folgen: Die Arbeitslosenquote von Personen ohne abgeschlossene Berufsausbildung fiel nach Angaben der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (2024) im Jahr 2023 mehr als sechs Mal so hoch aus wie bei Personen mit beruflichem oder akademischem Abschluss. In Hessen lag der Anteil der Schulabgehenden ohne Hauptschulabschluss im Jahr 2023 bei 6 Prozent (Statistisches Bundesamt 2024). Es stellt sich die Frage, inwieweit Betriebe bereit sind, Kompromisse einzugehen, indem freie Ausbildungsplätze an Bewerbende ohne Schulabschluss vergeben werden und welche Voraussetzungen hierfür gegeben sein müssen. Die Auswertungen zum IAB-Betriebspanel 2024 stehen unter dem Rahmenthema „Betrieblicher Alltag zwischen (schmerzhaften) Kompromissen und neuen Herausforderungen in den Betrieben in Hessen“. Der erste Report hat die aktuelle Personalsituation der Betriebe in Hessen in den Blick genommen. Der hier vorliegende zweite Report fokussiert auf die betriebliche Ausbildung. Kapitel 1 widmet sich der Ausbildungsbeteiligung der Betriebe und den im abgeschlossenen Ausbildungsjahr 2023/24 angebotenen und besetzten bzw. nicht besetzten Ausbildungsplätzen. Anschließend thematisiert Kapitel 2 Ausbildungsabschlüsse und Übernahmequoten. Im dritten Kapitel erfolgt eine Analyse der im neuen Ausbildungsjahr 2024/25 abgeschlossenen Ausbildungsverträge. Kapitel 4 untersucht die Berücksichtigung von Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern ohne Schulabschluss bei der Vergabe von Ausbildungsplätzen, und in Kapitel 5 werden die Gründe für den Ausbildungsverzicht ausbildungsberechtigter Betriebe analysiert. Der Report wird mit einem Resümee abgeschlossen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Smith, Eric (2025): On-the-job wage dynamics. In: Journal of Economic Theory, Jg. 224. DOI:10.1016/j.jet.2024.105953

Abstract

"This paper assesses wage setting and wage dynamics in a search and matching framework where (i) workers and firms on occasion can meet multilaterally; (ii) workers can recall previous encounters with firms; and (iii) firms cannot commit to future wages and workers cannot commit to not searching in the future. The resulting progression of wages (from firms paying just enough to keep their workers) yields a compensation structure consistent with well established but difficult to reconcile observations on pay dynamics within jobs at firms. Along with wage tenure effects, serial correlation in wage changes and wage growth are negatively correlated with initial wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))

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Stops, Michael, Asma Ahmed EzElDin, Marie-Christine Heckel, Pascal Heß, Hauke Klevinghaus, Verena Malfertheiner, Lina-Jeanette Metzger & Lennert Peede (2025): "IAB-Kompetenz-Kompass“ Bereitstellung von Stellentext-Daten als strukturierter Datensatz. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 01/2025), Nürnberg, 259 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2501

Abstract

"Dieser Forschungsbericht beschreibt die Ergebnisse eines zweijährigen Projektes, in dem Methoden zur Gewinnung von strukturierten Informationen aus Stellenanzeigen weiterentwickelt und neu erarbeitet wurden. Das Projekt wurde durch das Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS) im Rahmen der Datenlabor-Initiative der Bundesregierung mit Mitteln des Programms „NextGenerationEU“ der Europäischen Union ermöglicht und baut auf der „Machbarkeitsstudie Kompetenz-Kompass“ auf (Stops et al., 2020). Im Rahmen dieses Projekts wurde ein Datensatz erstellt, der auf allen zwischen April 2019 und Dezember 2023 zugegangenen Stellenanzeigen bei der Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) basiert, die auf der Stellenwebseite der BA veröffentlicht oder für die ein Vermittlungsauftrag für die BA bestand. Aus Vergleichen mit der IAB-Stellenerhebung geht hervor, dass der Datensatz Analysen zu vielen Fragestellungen erlaubt, die repräsentativ für den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt sind. Wir beschreiben die Entwicklung der Nachfrage nach fachlichen Kompetenzen; Sprachkenntnissen; Kompetenzen, die mit Technologien der Künstlichen Intelligenz sowie Wasserstofftechnologie im Zusammenhang stehen. Außerdem untersuchen wir das Angebot an Home-Office. Der Bericht schließt mit einem Ausblick auf die mögliche inhaltliche und methodische Weiterentwicklung der Forschung mit Stellendaten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Tran Nhat, Diana & Timm Teubner (2025): Expectation vs. reality: How stereotypes and expectation disconfirmation affect job evaluations in online labor markets. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 20, H. 11. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0334630

Abstract

"In online labor markets, reputation determines both job opportunities and pay and even small disparities can translate into significant economic differences. While gender-related bias in reputational metrics such as likes, reviews, and ratings has been empirically documented, the mechanisms through which they arise remain insufficiently understood. This study presents results from an online experiment, varying workers’ gender, domain, and performance, to investigate how expectations about workers are formed and how they affect subsequent evaluations. Drawing on Expectation Disconfirmation Theory and Role Congruity Theory, we test whether the effect of disconfirmation (i.e., discrepancies between expected and actual performance) on evaluations varies with congruity (i.e., stereotypical fit between gender and domain). Contrary to our hypothesis, workers in congruent settings do not elicit higher expectations than those in incongruent roles. Similarly, the effect of positive and negative disconfirmation does not vary with congruity. However, exploratory analyses suggest that congruity does affect expectations and evaluations when individuals hold strong gender-domain associations. In case of stereotypical associations, individuals expect higher performance of workers in congruent domains and evaluate them more leniently if they fail to meet expectations. Our findings contribute to understanding why identical performances might be judged differently depending on gender-domain associations, expectations, and disconfirmation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Venables, Anthony J. (2025): Location choice when the number of jobs matters: Matching in spatial equilibrium. (CEP discussion paper / Centre for Economic Performance 2087), London, 22 S.

Abstract

"The idea that people want to go to where the jobs are is intuitive yet is absent from the standard quantitative spatial modelling approach in which location choices are guided by prices, without reference to quantities (the number of jobs in a place). The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by making jobs, as well as places, the objects of household choice. This involves minor change to the modelling approach used in the literature and provides a simple description of labour market matching. Similar modification of the modelling of firms’ location choices captures the idea that these are shaped by both wage costs and the availability of workers with appropriate skill. These modifications yield powerful agglomeration forces, as workers’ location choices become positively influenced by the number of jobs in a place, and firms’ decision are shaped by the number of workers with appropriate skills. Results are established analytically and in a regional model in which the equilibrium distributions of workers and sectors are demonstrated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Vonk, Laura & Kobe De Keere (2025): Legitimizing Beauty in Hiring: An Analysis of Cultural Repertoires in Defense of Appearances as Selection Criteria. In: Work and occupations. DOI:10.1177/07308884251362257

Abstract

"This article builds upon the body of literature confirming that aesthetics matter for finding work by investigating how gatekeepers reflect on the relevance of appearances in their evaluations of job candidates. Starting from the notion that in hiring the relevance of appearance conflicts with ideals of meritocracy and fairness, we seek to understand how gatekeepers solve this dispute and how they morally legitimize the importance of aesthetics. The analyses are based on in-depth interviews with 40 employee gatekeepers from the cultural (n = 17) and corporate (n = 23) sector, and show that although the gatekeepers problematize the importance of beauty, they do acknowledge that it plays a role in their evaluations. Three cultural repertoires for solving this contradiction and for legitimizing appearances as a hiring criterion are discerned from the data: (1) beauty as a business case; (2) appearances express personality; (3) looking right is a matter of effort. What the gatekeepers try to do is to come to a hiring decision using evaluation criteria that can be considered contextually legitimate. Yet, this can lead to applying evaluation criteria and, more structurally, labor market outcomes that they find morally problematic. This study highlights the relevance of cultural repertoires in processes of legitimation for understanding reproductions of inequalities related to appearances." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wee, Shu Lin (2025): Optimal unemployment insurance with multiple applications. In: Journal of monetary economics, Jg. 154. DOI:10.1016/j.jmoneco.2025.103798

Abstract

"This paper examines how unemployment transfers should be allocated over the business cycle. When risk-averse workers can submit multiple applications, the optimal UI policy is countercyclical. In contrast, optimal policy in a standard search model featuring one-to-one matching is procyclical. In the latter, more generous UI during a downturn discourages search effort, dampening job creation. In the former, decreased search effort aids job creation. Because firms cannot coordinate and commit to not making the same worker an offer, lower search effort by reducing the number of applications sent mitigates this coordination friction. This in turn boosts job creation incentives, supporting employment outcomes." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Zamberlan, Anna, Filippo Gioachin & Paolo Barbieri (2025): Hiring intentions at the intersection of gender, parenthood, and social status. A factorial survey experiment in the UK labour market. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 41, H. 3, S. 395-410. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcae043

Abstract

"Extant literature points to the gender, parenthood, and social status of job applicants as crucial factors influencing employers’ hiring preferences and behaviors. However, little is known about whether and to what extent the intersection of these attributes leads to specific forms of hiring discrimination. This study aims to fill this research gap by examining whether labor market (dis)advantages related to gender, parenthood, and social status occur in an additive or interactive relationship. We conducted a factorial survey experiment in which more than 2,500 UK-based individuals with recruiting experience rated the profiles of fictitious candidates for various job vacancies. We found significant and substantial discrimination against mothers, indicating the existence of a cumulative disadvantage between being a woman and having children, while high-status candidates were more favourably positioned, albeit with noteworthy differences depending on how social status was signalled. Most interestingly, the motherhood penalty was significantly reduced (up to almost half) for high-status candidates, suggesting a compensatory effect of signalling a high status. This novel evidence in the British context highlights the importance of examining the intersection of different dimensions of discrimination and inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Abbritti, Mirko & Agostino Consolo (2024): Labour market skills, endogenous productivity and business cycles. In: European Economic Review, Jg. 170. DOI:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2024.104873

Abstract

"This paper analyses how labor market heterogeneity affects unemployment, productivity and business cycle dynamics. To this aim, we set up a model with asymmetric search and matching frictions across skilled and unskilled workers, and endogenous productivity through R&D investment and intangible capital accumulation. Skill mismatch and skill-specific labor market institutions have three main effects on business cycles and growth dynamics. First, the relative scarcity of skilled workers increases the natural rate of unemployment and reduces total factor productivity with long-run effects on the growth rate of output. Second, skill heterogeneity in the labor market generates asymmetric outcomes and amplifies measures of employment, wages and consumption inequality. Finally, the model provides important insights for the Phillips and Beveridge curves. Incorporating skill heterogeneity leads to a flattening of the Phillips curve as wages and unemployment respond unevenly across skill types. Also, the model generates sideward shifts of the Beveridge curve following business cycle shocks, with the extent of these shifts depending on the degree of skill heterogeneity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Abraham, Lisa, Johannes Hallermeier & Alison Stein (2024): Words matter: Experimental evidence from job applications. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 225, S. 348-391. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2024.06.013

Abstract

"If women are more sensitive to listed qualifications in job ads, does lowering the bar draw in relatively more women and increase diversity in the applicant pool? We examine this question by randomizing 60,000 viewers into one of two job ad versions for over 600 corporate jobs at Uber, where the treatment removed optional and superfluous qualifications. There are two main findings. First, job seekers of both genders respond to qualifications: applications increase by 7%, owing to similar increases in the number of applications from men and women. Second, reducing the qualifications impacts the type of individual who chooses to apply differently by gender. Reducing the qualifications draws in less skilled women and causes an outflow of some highly skilled women. Conversely, the treatment draws in men from across the skill distribution, including the upper end. We find gender differences in application behavior and explore potential mechanisms in a separate, large-scale survey using the RAND American Life Panel. These results highlight that sensitivity to listed requirements is complex, and simply lowering the qualifications in job postings is not guaranteed to increase applicant diversity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Arndt, Franziska, Philip Herzer, Paula Risius, Dirk Werner, Helen Renk, Fabian Schaffer & Clemens Wieland (2024): Vom Mismatch zum Match: Wie sich Jugendliche und Unternehmen auf dem Ausbildungsmarkt suchen und finden (können). Eine kombinierte Jugend- und Unternehmensbefragung. Gütersloh, 43 S. DOI:10.11586/2024103

Abstract

"Immer mehr Ausbildungsplätze in Deutschland bleiben unbesetzt, gleichzeitig gehen viele Bewerber:innen auf dem Ausbildungsmarkt leer aus. Was sind die Gründe? Liegt es vielleicht auch daran, dass die Suchprofile und -strategien der Unternehmen und der ausbildungsinteressierten jungen Menschen nicht zusammenpassen? Mit anderen Worten: Wo und wie platzieren Unternehmen ihr Angebot und passt das zu dem Suchverhalten von Jugendlichen? Die gemeinsame Studie des Instituts der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln und der Bertelsmann Stiftung stellt die Perspektiven von Ausbildungsbetrieben und jungen Menschen einander gegenüber. Beide Seiten sind sich zwar grundsätzlich über den hohen Stellenwert einer Berufsausbildung als gute Karrieregrundlage einig und nutzen insbesondere Online-Stellenausschreibungen, die Bundesagentur für Arbeit und Social Media Kanäle zur Suche nach Ausbildungsplätzen bzw. Bewerber:innen – im Detail zeigen sich jedoch einige entscheidende Unterschiede im Kommunikations- und Informationsverhalten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Audoly, Richard, Manudeep Bhuller & Tore Adam Reiremo (2024): The Pay and Non-Pay Content of Job Ads. (arXiv papers 2407.13204), 54 S.

Abstract

"How informative are job ads about the actual pay and amenities offered by employers? Using a comprehensive database of job ads posted by Norwegian employers, we develop a methodology to systematically classify the information on both pay and non-pay job attributes advertised in vacancy texts. We link this information to measures of employer attractiveness, which we derive from a job search model estimated on observed wages and worker mobility flows. About 55 percent of job ads provide information related to pay and nearly all ads feature information on non-pay attributes. We show that publicly advertised job attributes are meaningful predictors of employer attractiveness, and non-pay attributes are about as predictive as pay-related attributes. High-pay employers mention pay-related attributes more often, while high-amenity employers are more likely to advertise flexible working hours and contract duration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Avery, Mallory, Andreas Leibbrandt & Joseph Vecci (2024): Does Artificial Intelligence Help or Hurt Gender Diversity? Evidence from Two Field Experiments on Recruitment in Tech. (CESifo working paper 10996), München, 70 S.

Abstract

"The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment is rapidly increasing and drastically changing how people apply to jobs and how applications are reviewed. In this paper, we use two field experiments to study how AI recruitment tools can impact gender diversity in the male-dominated technology sector, both overall and separately for labor supply and demand. We find that the use of AI in recruitment changes the gender distribution of potential hires, in some cases more than doubling the fraction of top applicants that are women. This change is generated by better outcomes for women in both supply and demand. On the supply side, we observe that the use of AI reduces the gender gap in application completion rates. Complementary survey evidence suggests that anticipated bias is a driver of increased female application completion when assessed by AI instead of human evaluators. On the demand side, we find that providing evaluators with applicants' AI scores closes the gender gap in assessments that otherwise disadvantage female applicants. Finally, we show that the AI tool would have to be substantially biased against women to result in a lower level of gender diversity than found without AI." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baird, Matthew, Paul Ko & Nikhil Gahlawat (2024): Skill Signals in a Digital Job Search Market and Duration in Employment Gaps. In: Journal of labor research, Jg. 45, H. 3, S. 403-435. DOI:10.1007/s12122-024-09363-y

Abstract

"With the rise of the digital job search market, new opportunities for signaling skills and competencies to employers have emerged. In this paper, we examine listed skills on individuals’ LinkedIn profiles in the United States between 2015 and 2021, both those members add themselves and skills for which they are endorsed from others in their network. We use an inverse probability weighted proportional hazards model with time varying covariates to estimate the relationship between listed skills on shortening employment gaps (time between jobs). We find that, for self-added and peer-endorsed skills respectively, an additional ten skills on the profile decreases median employment gap duration by about 0.7 and 0.4 months, from a median baseline of around 6 months gap. Individuals with no education listed on their profile have the largest benefit from listed skills in terms of reducing employment gaps. Disruptive tech and soft skills also are related to higher returns. Additionally, skills added during the employment break have a substantially stronger relationship than pre-existing added skills. More experienced workers have larger returns than less experienced workers, consistent with the hypothesis that these skills are otherwise difficult to signal to potential employers. These findings are consistent with online job markets’ use of technology offering more efficient ways to signal skills, shortening time to reemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Baley, Isaac, Lars Ljungqvist & Thomas J. Sargent (2024): Returns to labour mobility. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 135, H. 666, S. 430-454. DOI:10.1093/ej/ueae054

Abstract

"Returns to labor mobility have too often escaped the attention they deserve as conduits of important forces in macro-labour models. These returns are shaped by calibrations of productivity processes that use theoretical perspectives and data sources from (i) labour economics and (ii) industrial organization. By investigating earlier prominent studies, we conclude that the focus on firm size dynamics and shocks intermediated through neo-classical production functions in (ii) yields large returns to labor mobility that are robust to parameter perturbations. In contrast, the reliance on statistics in labor economics to calibrate per-worker productivity processes in (i) can give rise to fragilities in the sense that parameter perturbations that generate similar targeted statistics can have very different implications for returns to labor mobility." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baran, Jan A. (2024): Overeducation in the EU: Gender and regional dimension. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 90. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102603

Abstract

"The paper investigates factors associated with the overeducation risk in the EU, with a specific focus on gender and regional variables. The study tests Frank's theory of differential overqualification, which suggests that women are more likely to be overeducated than men, especially in small local labor markets. Although women's overeducation rates usually exceed those of men, the study's results show limited validity of Frank's model due to a nuanced relationship by which gender is linked to overeducation. They suggest that gender differentiates the overeducation risk in combination with care responsibilities, whilst easier access to childcare facilities is associated with a lower risk of overeducation among women in households with young children. Moreover, migrant women are found to be more at risk of overeducation, compared to both migrant men and non-migrants. Contrary to Frank's theory, the degree of urbanisation is found irrelevant for overeducation. Furthermore, the study shows the evidence of growing incidence of overeducation in the EU in 2011–2018." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Barlevy, Gadi, R. Jason Faberman, Bart Hobijn & Ayşegül Şahin (2024): The Shifting Reasons for Beveridge Curve Shifts. In: The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jg. 38, H. 2, S. 83-106. DOI:10.1257/jep.38.2.83

Abstract

"We discuss how the relative importance of factors that contribute to movements of the US Beveridge curve has changed from 1959 to 2023. We review these factors in the context of a simple flow analogy used to capture the main insights of search and matching theories of the labor market. Changes in inflow rates, related to demographics, accounted for Beveridge curve shifts between 1959 and 2000. A reduction in matching efficiency, that depressed unemployment outflows, shifted the curve outwards in the wake of the Great Recession. In contrast, the most recent shifts in the Beveridge curve appear driven by changes in the eagerness of workers to switch jobs. Finally, we argue that, while the Beveridge curve is a useful tool for relating unemployment and job openings to inflation, the link between these labor market indicators and inflation depends on whether and why the Beveridge curve shifted. Therefore, a careful examination of the factors underlying movements in the Beveridge curve is essential for drawing policy conclusions from the joint behavior of unemployment and job openings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Behaghel, Luc, Sofia Dromundo, Marc Gurgand, Yagan Hazard & Thomas Zuber (2024): The Potential of Recommender Systems for Directing Job Search: A Large-Scale Experiment. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16781), Bonn, 65 S.

Abstract

"We analyze the employment effects of directing job seekers' applications toward establishments likely to recruit. We run a two-sided randomization design involving about 800,000 job seekers and 40,000 establishments, based on an empirical model that recommends each job seeker to firms so as to maximize total potential employment. Our intervention induces a 1% increase in job finding rates for short term contracts. This impact comes from a targeting effect combining (i) a modest increase in job seekers' applications to the very firms that were recommended to them, and (ii) a high success rate conditional on applying to these firms. Indeed, the success rate of job seekers' applications varies considerably across firms: the efficiency of applications sent to recommended firms is 2.7 times higher than the efficiency of applications to the average firm. This suggests that there can be substantial gains from better targeting job search, leveraging firm-level heterogeneity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Belot, Michèle, Xiaoying Liu & Vaios Triantafyllou (2024): Measuring the quality of a match. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 89. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102568

Abstract

"The quality of an employment match is a central concept in labor economics. It is relevant for evaluating the welfare impact of labor market policies, and for our understanding of labor market dynamics. This paper reviews the challenges associated with measuring match quality. We first review measures commonly used in the literature, their advantages, and drawbacks. We then present novel evidence from a survey sample of US employees where alternative measures were collected simultaneously. We show that while some of these measures correlate well, others do not. Finally, we present additional partial evidence on the correlations between measures based on the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), a substantially larger and nationally representative survey. The takeaway message is a word of caution regarding the interpretation of some of these measures and specific concerns regarding using wages and tenure as indicators of match quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Berloffa, Gabriella, Daniela Piazzalunga & Fabio Pieri (2024): Firm Human Resource Practices and Educational Mismatch. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17424), Bonn, 46 S.

Abstract

"The paper introduces a new measure of educational mismatch at the firm level, constructed by merging firm and individual data at the sector-firm size-year level. This measure captures both the intensity of mismatch and its type – whether overeducation, undereducation, or a mix of the two. We assess the role of human resource practices in reducing the intensity of educational mismatch in Italian firms by estimating econometric models that control for a rich set of firm characteristics, as well as year and industry-region fixed effects. Firm-fixed effects and instrumental variable models complement the analysis. Findings indicate that the use of private recruitment agencies, on-the-job training, and structured supervision is associated with a reduction in mismatch intensity. The impact of other practices varies by mismatch type: higher job turnover rates correlate with lower undereducation but increased overeducation, while second-level bargaining increases undereducation and reduces overeducation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bernstein, Joshua, Michael Plante, Alexander W. Richter & Nathaniel A. Throckmorton (2024): A Simple Explanation of Countercyclical Uncertainty. In: American Economic Journal. Macroeconomics, Jg. 16, H. 4, S. 143-171. DOI:10.1257/mac.20220134

Abstract

"This paper documents that labor search and matching frictions generate countercyclical uncertainty because the inherent nonlinearity in the flow of new matches makes employment uncertainty increasing in the number of people searching for work. Quantitatively, this mechanism is strong enough to explain uncertainty and real activity dynamics, including their correlation. Through this lens, uncertainty fluctuations are endogenous responses to changes in real activity that neither affect the severity of business cycles nor warrant policy intervention, in contrast with leading theories of the interaction between uncertainty and real activity dynamics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bilenkisi, Fikret (2024): Uncertainty, labor force participation and job search. In: Economic Modelling, Jg. 139. DOI:10.1016/j.econmod.2024.106833

Abstract

"This study examines the impact of labor force participation (LFP) on search behavior and unemployment in response to uncertainty shocks. Using a Bayesian vector autoregression model, this study shows that an increase in uncertainty raises unemployment, lowers inflation and decreases LFP and search intensity. Then, a New Keynesian model that incorporates endogenous LFP and variable search intensity is constructed. Results show that both search intensity and participation are procyclical, which suggests a discouragement effect. However, with habit formation, the wealth effect outweighs the discouragement effect and induces an increase in LFP, resulting in a more significant decline in aggregate search intensity due to the expanded searcher pool. In the exogenous LFP model, search intensity is countercyclical, which dampens the unemployment rate. In the endogenous LFP model, the increased entry of non-participants cancels out the countercyclical search intensity of unemployed workers due to the large number of searchers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Birchenall, Javier A. (2024): A competitive theory of mismatch. In: Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Jg. 168. DOI:10.1016/j.jedc.2024.104996

Abstract

"I study the distributions of unemployment, vacancies, and wages across local labor markets in an economy where workers and jobs are matched and mismatched based on more explicit assumptions and aggregation principles than in the reduced-form aggregate matching-function approach. The endogenous matching process formulated here is flexible and has practical value for applied work. Local and aggregate labor market adjustments to local productivity and aggregate demand shocks reproduce empirical Beveridge and wage curve patterns, offer an alternative perspective on empirical indices of mismatch unemployment, and deliver an endogenous and commonly used reduced-form aggregate matching function." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

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Birinci, Serdar, Yusuf Mercan & Kurt See (2024): Mismatch Unemployment During COVID-19 and the Post-Pandemic Labor Shortages. (Working paper / Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2024-025), Saint Louis, MO, 35 S. DOI:10.20955/wp.2024.025

Abstract

"We examine the extent to which mismatch unemployment—employment losses relative to an efficient allocation where the planner can costlessly reallocate unemployed workers across sectors to maximize output—shaped labor market dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recovery episode characterized by labor shortages. We find that, for the first time in our sample, mismatch unemployment turned negative at the onset of the pandemic. This result suggests that the efficient allocation of job seekers would involve reallocating workers toward longer-tenure and more-productive jobs, even at the expense of fewer hires. We show that sectoral differences in job separations were the main driver behind this result, while differences in vacancies caused positive mismatch unemployment during the recovery episode. We also establish an empirical link between mismatch unemployment and the surge in the labor cost during the recovery, documenting that sectors with larger mismatch unemployment experienced higher employment cost growth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bischof, Stephan (2024): Test-based measurement of skill mismatch: a validation of five different measurement approaches using the NEPS. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 58. DOI:10.1186/s12651-024-00370-1

Abstract

"Skill mismatch is a key indicator of labour market research that has received significant attention. To date, various approaches of test-based measurement of skill mismatch have been used in research, generating differing results. However, it remains unclear which method is the most valid for measuring skill mismatch. This study provides a comparative validation of five commonly used approaches to test-based measurement of skill mismatches in reading and mathematics to detect the most valid method. Drawing on the 2016 wave of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Adult Cohort, I find significantly varying distributions for the different measurement approaches, and highly valid skill mismatch measures for the statistical and the mixed approach. Overall, the mixed approach emerges as the most valid method. The findings highlight the critical importance of measurement approaches in skill mismatch research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Blumkin, Tomer & David Lagziel (2024): Asymmetric market power and wage suppression. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 126, H. 1, S. 38-59. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12545

Abstract

"We study a labor market in which two identical firms compete over a pool of homogenous workers. Firms pre-commit to their outreach to potential employees, either through their informative advertising choices, or through their screening processes, before engaging in a wage competition ('a la Bertrand). Although firms are homogeneous, the unique pure-strategy equilibrium is asymmetric: one firm maximizes its outreach whereas the other compromises on a significantly smaller market share. The features of the asymmetric equilibrium extend to a general oligopsony with any finite number of firms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Bossler, Mario & Martin Popp (2024): Labor Demand on a Tight Leash. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16837), Bonn, 99 S.

Abstract

"We develop a labor demand model that encompasses pre-match hiring cost arising from tight labor markets. Through the lens of the model, we study the effect of labor market tightness on firms’ labor demand by applying novel shift-share instruments to the universe of German firms. In line with theory, we find that a doubling in tightness reduces firms’ employment by 5 percent. Taking into account the resulting search externalities, the wage elasticity of firms’ labor demand reduces from -0.7 to -0.5 through reallocation effects. In light of our results, pre-match hiring cost amount to 40 percent of annual wage payments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bradley, Jake & Lukas Mann (2024): Learning about labor markets. In: Journal of monetary economics, Jg. 148. DOI:10.1016/j.jmoneco.2024.103612

Abstract

"We study a general equilibrium model of the labor market in which agents slowly learn about their suitability for jobs. Our model reproduces desirable features of the data, many of which standard models fail to replicate. We explore how, in such an environment, asymmetric information can lead to substantial misallocation. We calibrate our model to US data and quantify the welfare loss arising from misallocation due to informational frictions. The tractability of the model allows us to explore the responsiveness of wages and employment to an aggregate shock. We find that wage rigidity arises endogenously because of protracted learning, and in line with the data, the model is able to generate a larger and more persistent employment response." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Bransch, Felix, Samreen Malik & Benedikt Mihm (2024): The cyclicality of on-the-job search. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 87. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102517

Abstract

"On-the-job search is increasingly recognized as an important potential driver of labor market dynamics over the business cycle. Using the UK Labor Force Survey, we find robust empirical evidence that on-the-job search is countercyclical and that the cyclical fluctuations have important repercussions for labor market dynamics. We also find that the cyclical pattern is not explained by precautionary search motives but rather appears to be driven by job-ladder-motivated searches. This finding is surprising because, as we confirm, the expected returns to on-the-job search are procyclical. We find evidence that three features of search behavior may contribute to this finding: greater search effort in response to lower job-to-job transition probabilities, a prevalence of non-pecuniary motivated searches that are less affected by lower expected wage gains, and procyclicality in average match quality, which has a significant impact on the search behavior of new hires over the business cycle." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Braunschweig, Luisa, Wolfgang Dauth & Duncan Roth (2024): Job Mobility and Assortative Matching. (IAB-Discussion Paper 11/2024), Nürnberg, 52 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2411

Abstract

"Wir analysieren, wie sich das Matching zwischen Betrieben und Beschäftigten über das Erwerbsleben durch Jobmobilität verändert. Wir nutzen deutsche administrative Daten, die sowohl Informationen über Beschäftigte als auch Betriebe enthalten. Um assortatives Matching zu messen, berechnen wir die Korrelation zwischen zeitkonstanten Lohnkomponenten von Betrieben und Beschäftigten, welche wir aus einer Lohndekomposition im Stil von Abowd/Kramarz/Margolis (1999) ziehen. Zudem benutzen wir ein neues Maß für assortatives Matching, welches auf der Distanz zwischen diesen Lohnkomponenten basiert. Beide Maße zeigen, dass der Grad des assortativen Matchings im Durchschnitt mit jedem weiteren Betriebswechsel ansteigt. Bei Beschäftigten mit einer hohen zeitkonstanten Lohnkomponente kann dies durch Job Ladder Modelle erklärt werden, denn die Beschäftigten bewegen sich zu Firmen mit höheren Lohnkomponenten. Dahingegen sind Beschäftigte mit niedrigerer Lohnkomponente am Anfang des Erwerbslebens in weniger assortativen Matches zu finden, da sie es ebenfalls schaffen, zu Beginn die Job Ladder hinaufzuklettern. Für sie beginnt der Anstieg des assortativen Matchings erst nach dem dritten Job, wenn sie von der Job Ladder fallen. Die Entwicklung des assortativen Matchings ist zudem relevant für die Lohnungleichheit im Lebensverlauf. Wir zeigen, dass der Anstieg des assortativen Matchings circa 25 Prozent des Anstiegs der Lohnungleichheit im Lebensverlauf erklären kann." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Card, David, Jesse Rothstein & Moises Yi (2024): Re-assessing the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 32252), Cambridge, Mass, 25 S.

Abstract

"We use detailed location information from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) database to develop new evidence on the effects of spatial mismatch on the relative earnings of Black workers in large US cities. We classify workplaces by the size of the pay premiums they offer in a two-way fixed effects model, providing a simple metric for defining “good” jobs. We show that: (a) Black workers earn nearly the same average wage premiums as whites; (b) in most cities Black workers live closer to jobs, and closer to good jobs, than do whites; (c) Black workers typically commute shorter distances than whites; and (d) people who commute further earn higher average pay premiums, but the elasticity with respect to distance traveled is slightly lower for Black workers. We conclude that geographic proximity to good jobs is unlikely to be a major source of the racial earnings gaps in major U.S. cities today." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Carillo-Tudela, Carlos, Leo Kaas & Benjamin Lochner (2024): How workers and firms meet in the labor market and why it matters. (VoxEU columns / Centre for Economic Policy Research), London, o. Sz.

Abstract

"Most firms match with workers through job postings, networks of personal contacts, or the public employment agency. This column investigates the effects of search channels on labor market outcomes in Germany. Low-wage firms and low-wage workers are more likely to match via networks or the public agency, while high-wage firms and high-wage workers succeed more often via job postings. Because search channels connect workers and firms at different rungs of the wage distribution, matching technologies matter not only for individual job search outcomes, but also for aggregate employment, productivity, and wage inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © VOXEU) ((en))

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Carter, Charles, Judith M. Delaney & Kerry L. Papps (2024): The Effect of Wages on Job Vacancy Duration: Evidence from a Spatial Discontinuity. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17273), Bonn, 30 S.

Abstract

"We exploit a spatial discontinuity in the wages paid by the United Kingdom's National Health Service to examine how wages affect the duration of time a vacancy is advertised. NHS workers in inner London are mandated by law to be paid an extra 4.3% more than those who work in outer London. We use a regression discontinuity design and estimate an elasticity of duration with respect to wages of -6.3. This number is larger than reported by previous studies and suggests that firms can fill worker shortages faster by raising wages. This also highlights the importance this margin of worker recruitment when analysing firm search and job match. Our results are robust to various checks including a placebo test using fictitious borders and are robust to changes in the bandwidth and the duration measure. The estimates are similar across all occupational groups in the NHS and are not limited to jobs that require specific skills such as nurses and therapists. Our results provide evidence for policy makers which suggests that increasing the wages paid to NHS workers may lead to increased cost savings by reducing the need to hire expensive agency staff and may also lead to better health outcomes of the population through reduced staff shortages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ciminelli, Gabriele, Antton Haramboure, Lea Samek, Cyrille Schwellnus, Allison Shrivastava & Tara Sinclair (2024): Occupational reallocation and mismatch in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic: Cross-country evidence from an online job site. (OECD productivity working papers 35), Paris, 29 S. DOI:10.1787/128b92aa-en

Abstract

"Employment has recovered strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic despite large structural changes in labor markets, such as the widespread adoption of digital business models and remote work. We analyse whether the pandemic has been associated with labor reallocation across occupations and triggered mismatches between occupational labor demand and supply using novel data on employers' job postings and jobseekers' clicks across 19 countries from the online job site Indeed. Findings indicate that, on average across countries, the pandemic triggered large and persistent reallocation of postings and clicks across occupations. Occupational mismatch initially increased but was back to pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2022 as employers and workers adjusted to structural changes. The adjustment was substantially slower in countries that resorted to short-time work schemes to preserve employment during the pandemic." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cowgill, Bo, Jonathan M. V. Davis, B. Pablo Montagnes & Patryk Perkowski (2024): Stable Matching on the Job? Theory and Evidence on Internal Talent Markets. (CESifo working paper 11120), München, 47, XLIII S.

Abstract

"A principal often needs to match agents to perform coordinated tasks, but agents can quit or slack off if they dislike their match. We study two prevalent approaches for matching within organizations: Centralized assignment by firm leaders and self-organization through market-like mechanisms. We provide a formal model of the strengths and weaknesses of both methods under different settings, incentives, and production technologies. The model highlights tradeoffs between match-specific productivity and job satisfaction. We then measure these tradeoffs with data from a large organization’s internal talent market. Firm-dictated matches are 33% more valuable than randomly assigned matches within job categories (using the firm’s preferred metric of quality). By contrast, preference-based matches (using deferred acceptance) are only 5% better than random but are ranked (on average) about 38 percentiles higher by the workforce. The selforganized match is positively assortative and helps workers grow new skills; the firm’s preferred match is negatively assortative and harvests existing expertise." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Créchet, Jonathan, Etienne Lalé & Linas Tarasonis (2024): Life-Cycle Worker Flows and Cross-Country Differences in Aggregate Employment. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16878), Bonn, 71 S.

Abstract

"Cross-country employment differences are concentrated among women, the youth, and older individuals. In this paper, we document how worker flows between employment, unemployment, and out of the labor force vary by gender and age and contribute to aggregate employment differences across a large panel of European countries. We then build a life-cycle Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides model capturing the salient features of our data. Key elements of the model are an extensive margin (i.e., labor force participation) and intensive margin (i.e., variable intensity) of search effort. The model attributes a major role to the production technology in driving differences in aggregate employment, while labor-market policies play a minor role. Search effort substantially amplifies the effects of technology across gender and age groups and is a prominent proximate cause of the cross-country variation in aggregate employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cubas, German, Pedro Silos & Vesa Soini (2024): Risk and the allocation of talent in the Roy model. In: Economics Letters, Jg. 236. DOI:10.1016/j.econlet.2024.111623

Abstract

"With risk-averse workers and uninsurable earnings shocks, competitive markets allocate too few workers to risky jobs. Using an equilibrium Roy model with incomplete markets, we show that in competitive equilibrium, risky occupations are inefficiently small and hence talent is misallocated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Damelang, Andreas, Ann-Katrin Rückel & Michael Stops (2024): Gender Stereotyping in the Labor Market: A Descriptive Analysis of Almost One Million Job Ads across 710 Occupations and Occupational Positions. (IAB-Discussion Paper 13/2024), Nürnberg, 23 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.DP.2413

Abstract

"Wir analysieren Muster stereotypisierter Darstellungen von Geschlechtern (gender stereotyping) in Stellenanzeigen des deutschen Arbeitsmarkts und vergleichen diese Muster zwischen verschiedenen Berufsabgrenzungen. Basierend auf einem umfangreichen Stellenanzeigen-Datensatz der BA-Jobbörse, einem der größten Online-Jobportale Deutschlands, wendeten wir einen Machine Learning-Algorithmus an, um den Teil der Stellentexte zu identifizieren, in dem zu erfüllende Anforderungen und zu verrichtende Tätigkeiten explizit beschrieben werden. Wir nutzten ein eigens erstelltes Wörterbuch agentischer (männlich-konnotierter) und kommunaler (weiblich-konnotierter) Signalwörter, um die Stereotypisierung von Geschlechtern in Stellenbeschreibungen zu messen. Die war möglich für 710 Berufe. Die Ergebnisse zeigen zunächst, dass in unserer Stichprobe Berufe eher weiblich als männlich stereotypisiert sind. Wir untersuchen im Weiteren zwei Berufsgruppen näher, die sich deutlich hinsichtlich ihrer Anforderungen und Tätigkeitsinhalte unterscheiden, und hohe Relevanz bezüglich wichtiger Megatrends wie der Digitalisierung und dem demographischen Wandel haben: einerseits Mathematik, Informatik, Natur- und Ingenieurwissenschaft und Technik (MINT), und andererseits Berufe im Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen. Dabei unterschieden wir die enthaltenen einzelnen Berufe zum einen nach ihren Anforderungsniveaus und zum anderen danach, ob sie mit einfachen bzw. fachlichen Positionen oder mit Aufsichts- und Führungspositionen verbunden sind. Entgegen dem allgemeinen Befund, dass die von uns beobachteten Berufe überwiegend weiblich stereotypisiert sind, finden wir, dass die MINT-Berufe sowie Aufsichts- und Führungspositionen eher männlich stereotypisiert sind. Unsere Ergebnisse belegen einen positiven Zusammenhang zwischen Geschlechter-Stereotypisierung und berufsbezogener Geschlechtersegregation. Dies legt nahe, dass die Geschlechter-Stereotypisierung in Stellenanzeigen dazu beiträgt, dass Frauen in bestimmten Berufen und Berufspositionen unterrepräsentiert sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Darougheh, Saman (2024): Occupation-Industry Mismatch in the Cross Section and the Aggregate. In: Journal of Political Economy Macroeconomics, Jg. 2, H. 3, S. 375-408. DOI:10.1086/731536

Abstract

"I define occupations that are employed in more industries as “broader ” occupations. I study the implications of broadness for mismatch of the unemployed and vacancies across occupations and industries. I empirically find that workers in broader occupations are better insured against industry specific shocks. A recent literature has found that mismatch did not significantly contribute to the rise in unemployment during the Great Recession. I build a general equilibrium model that uses occupational broadness as a microfoundation of mismatch. The model uncovers a general equilibrium channel that realigns the strong crosssectional effects of mismatch with its missing aggregate impact. I argue that mismatch across occupations and industries cannot significantly contribute to aggregate unemployment fluctuations" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Davis, Steven J. & Brenda Samaniego de la Parra (2024): Application Flows. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16903), Bonn, 61 S.

Abstract

"We build and analyze a new U.S. database that links 125 million applications to job vacancies and employer-side clients on Dice.com, an online platform for jobs and workers in software design, computer systems, engineering, financial analysis, management consulting, and other occupations that require technical skills. We find, first, that posting durations are quite short, often only two or three days, with a median of seven days. Second, labor market tightness has tiny effects on posting durations. Third, job seekers display a striking propensity to target new postings, with almost half of applications flowing to openings posted in the past 48 hours. Fourth, applications per posting are much too uneven to reflect random search, even within narrow market segments and job categories. Moreover, posted offer wages play no role in explaining the deviations from a random-search benchmark. Fifth, intermediaries play a huge role on both sides of the platform: Recruitment and staffing firms account for two-thirds of all postings and attract most of the applications. We relate these and other findings to theories of labor market search." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Demazière, Didier (2024): In search of a job—But which one? How unemployed people revise their occupational expectations. In: Social Policy and Administration, Jg. 58, H. 7, S. 1025-1041. DOI:10.1111/spol.13011

Abstract

"Conducting a job search implies the identification of a target—an intended job. However, this assumption has been little studied, and just two main conclusions have been drawn, namely: jobseekers have an incentive to adjust their targets to the jobs available, and returning to work tends to lead to occupational downgrading. This article explores how job search experiences shape and alter targets. Biographical interviews were conducted with 57 unemployed people registered with the French public employment service. Ultimately, all of them revise their occupational expectations as, faced with the uncertainties inherent to the job search and experiencing difficulties in reaching their priority targets, they try to adapt and define more realistic goals. Four contrasting processes of expectation revision are used to track these tensions between desirability and realism. In conclusion, we stress the following facts: that unemployed people are flexible and develop rationales in order to adapt to the labour market; that their experience of failure, alongside advice and beliefs arising in the course of the job search feed directly into these revisions, and that these revisions both vary in magnitude and reflect inequalities in the defining process of target jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Denderski, Piotr & Florian Sniekers (2024): Declining Search Frictions, Unemployment and Self-Employment. In: The Economic Journal, Jg. 134, H. 659, S. 1100-1145. DOI:10.1093/ej/uead093

Abstract

"In most OECD countries, unemployment rates show no trend, which is puzzling if advancements in information and communication technologies decrease labor-market frictions. We show, both analytically and quantitatively, that accounting for the secular decline in self-employment rates solves the puzzle. While declining labor-market frictions can theoretically explain these trends, we provide contradictory causal evidence that the roll-out of broadband internet has increased self-employment and decreased unemployment rates. We reconcile these observations with a new model featuring frictions in both labour and goods markets. We explain falling self-employment and non-trending unemployment quantitatively by labor-market frictions declining relatively more than goods-market frictions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))