matching – Suchprozesse am Arbeitsmarkt
Offene Stellen bei gleichzeitiger Arbeitslosigkeit - was Arbeitsmarkttheorien u. a. mit "unvollkommener Information" begründen, ist für Unternehmen und Arbeitsuchende oft nur schwer nachzuvollziehen: Unternehmen können freie Stellen nicht besetzen, trotzdem finden Arbeitsuchende nur schwer den passenden Job. Wie gestalten sich die Suchprozesse bei Unternehmen und Arbeitsuchenden, welche Konzessionen sind beide Seiten bereit einzugehen, wie lässt sich das "matching" verbessern?
Diese Infoplattform bietet wissenschaftliche Literatur zur theoretischen und empirischen Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema.
-
Literaturhinweis
Overeducation, performance pay and wages: evidence from Germany (2026)
Zitatform
Baktash, Mehrzad B. (2026): Overeducation, performance pay and wages: evidence from Germany. In: Education Economics, Jg. 34, H. 4, S. 529-549. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Decomposing Variations in Labor Market Mismatch (2026)
Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Wage effects of skill mismatches across domains: the importance of ICT skills (2026)
Zitatform
Bischof, Stephan & Rolf van der Velden (2026): Wage effects of skill mismatches across domains: the importance of ICT skills. In: Oxford economic papers, Jg. 78, H. 2, S. 388-409. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Labor Demand on a Tight Leash (2026)
Zitatform
Bossler, Mario & Martin Popp (2026): Labor Demand on a Tight Leash. In: ILR review, Jg. 79, H. 4, S. 617-651., 2025-10-21. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Finding a job through social networks - Monetary and nonmonetary returns for employed and unemployed job seekers (2026)
Zitatform
Drasch, Katrin & Gerhard Krug (2026): Finding a job through social networks - Monetary and nonmonetary returns for employed and unemployed job seekers. (SocArXiv papers), 40 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/kz9e6_v1
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Finding a job through social networks: monetary and nonmonetary returns for employed and unemployed job seekers (2026)
Zitatform
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. 1-28. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Online social class cues and employability: Experimental evidence from Germany (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Bargaining with Renegotiation in Models with On-the-Job Search (2026)
Gottfries, Axel;Zitatform
Gottfries, Axel (2026): Bargaining with Renegotiation in Models with On-the-Job Search. In: Review of Economic Dynamics, Jg. 61. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Matching for three: The search activities of workers, firms, and employment services (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Berufseinsteiger*innen im Fokus: Unternehmen setzen auf Soft Skills und Künstliche Intelligenz (2026)
Hennrich, Jonas; Schaller, Daria;Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Strategic Wage Posting, Market Power, and Mismatch (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Gender differences in job seekers’ access, activation, and returns to social capital (2026)
Zitatform
Krug, Gerhard (2026): Gender differences in job seekers’ access, activation, and returns to social capital. (SocArXiv papers), 23 S. DOI:10.31235/osf.io/sjym4_v1
Abstract
"Persistent gender inequalities in labor markets are often attributed to gendered differences in social capital and the use of social networks during job search. This study examines gender disparities in social capital among job seekers using eighteen waves of the German Panel Study Labour Market and Social Security (PASS) and a novel causal decomposition approach (Yu & Elwert 2025). We distinguish between access to social capital (available network resources), activation (received job search resources), and returns (outcomes such as wages, job satisfaction, and job interviews). While women in the general population have more limited access to weak ties and high-status contacts, these differences narrow substantially among active job seekers. Consistent with this pattern, women and men receive similar levels of network-based job search support. Crucially, we find no evidence of a gender-specific returns deficit in wages or job satisfaction and only limited evidence for job interviews. Overall, the findings suggest that gender inequalities in job search outcomes are not primarily driven by differential access to, activation of, or returns from social capital." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
-
Literaturhinweis
Teaching two-sided labor search theory to undergraduates: A model and some exercises (2026)
Loewy, Michael B.;Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Projecting Labour Market Imbalances and Skill Mismatch Under Demographic Change in the EU (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Machine learning for labor market matching (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
The Impact of Higher Education on Employer Perceptions (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Legitimizing Beauty in Hiring: An Analysis of Cultural Repertoires in Defense of Appearances as Selection Criteria (2026)
Zitatform
Vonk, Laura & Kobe De Keere (2026): Legitimizing Beauty in Hiring: An Analysis of Cultural Repertoires in Defense of Appearances as Selection Criteria. In: Work and occupations, Jg. 53, H. 2, S. 545-575. 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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Older Worker’s Job Search Activities and Employment Transition (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Women use Social Networks for Job Search more often than Men, but Men use them more intensely (2026)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Männer nutzen persönliche Netzwerke zur Jobsuche etwas häufiger und gezielter als Frauen (2026)
Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
How did you find your job? Effects of the job search channels on labour market outcomes in Germany (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Auszubildende über Social Media finden (2025)
Arndt, Franziska; Herzer, Philip; Risius, Paula;Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Gendered Job Search: An Analysis of Gender Differences in Reservation Wages and Job Applications (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
When an Accountant Becomes a Taxi Driver: Unemployment, Labor Market Institutions, and Economic Theory (2025)
Benanav, Aaron;Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Job Applications and Labor Market Flows (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Hiring opportunities for new firms and the business cycle (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Job search under changing labour taxes (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Analysepotenziale von OnlineStellenanzeigen und Methoden Maschinellen Lernens am Beispiel der Mindestlohnforschung: Hat der Mindestlohn die Nachfrage von Kompetenzen durch Arbeitgeber verändert? (2025)
Busch, Anne; Krieger, Benedikt; Krusee, Sebastian; Goluchowicz, Kerstin; Baumann, Fabienne-Agnes;Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Die Bereitschaft zu Zugeständnissen bei der Stellensuche nimmt mit sinkender Arbeitslosenquote ab (2025)
Zitatform
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)
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Bähr, Sebastian ; Steinberg, Hannah Sinja ; Collischon, Matthias ; Schwarz, Stefan ;Weiterführende Informationen
Hier finden Sie sämtliche aktuellen Grafiken -
Literaturhinweis
Essays on Wages and Minimum Wages in Frictional Labor Markets (2025)
Börschlein, Erik-Benjamin;Zitatform
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)
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Börschlein, Erik-Benjamin; -
Literaturhinweis
Search, Screening, and Sorting (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Firm Pay and Worker Search (2025)
Caldwell, Sydnee; Haegele, Ingrid; Heining, Jörg;Zitatform
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)
Beteiligte aus dem IAB
Heining, Jörg; -
Literaturhinweis
Essays in Macroeconomics and Labor Economics (2025)
Carlini, Giacomo;Zitatform
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))
Weiterführende Informationen
Data product DOI: 10.5164/IAB.LIABLM7519.de.en.v1 -
Literaturhinweis
Is labor matching effectiveness dependent on education level, age or gender? (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
IAB-Monitor Jobsuche: Jede siebte Person in abhängiger Beschäftigung sucht aktiv nach einem anderen Job (2025)
Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Marshallian agglomeration, labour pooling and skills matching (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Job Mismatch and Early Career Success (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Regionaler Mismatch: Arbeitskräftemobilität steigern (2025)
Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Arbeitsplatzattraktivität: Zwischen Wunsch und Versprechen: Eine Analyse auf Basis der IW-Beschäftigtenbefragung und Online-Stellenanzeigen (2025)
Engler, Jan; Mertens, Armin; Stettes, Oliver;Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Recruiting Intensity, Hires, and Vacancies: Evidence from Firm-Level Data (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
How to Attract Talent? Field-Experimental Evidence on Emphasizing Flexibility and Career Opportunities in Job Advertisements (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Output costs of education and skill mismatch in OECD countries (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
This time it’s different – Generative artificial intelligence and occupational choice (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Fast sechs von zehn Betrieben gingen im ersten Halbjahr 2024 Kompromisse bei der Einstellung von Fachkräften ein (2025)
Grau, Katrin; Schwengler, Barbara; Leber, Ute;Zitatform
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)
-
Literaturhinweis
Estimation of the wage offer distribution using both accepted and rejected offers (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Labor Market Monopsony: Fundamentals and Frontiers (2025)
Kline, Patrick;Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Search and multiple jobholding (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Homeownership and (un)employment: Search theory and empirical evidence from a system GMM (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
Workplace variation in migrant job searches: cohesion unites, bonuses do not divide (2025)
Zitatform
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))
-
Literaturhinweis
The Immobile Incumbent Problem in a Model of Short-Term Wage-Posting (2025)
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))