Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/267435 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15698
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper analyses data from a large-scale field experiment where unemployed workers were randomly assigned to an additional caseworker meeting with the purpose to impose a broader job search strategy. We find that the meeting significantly increases job finding and is cost effective. However, caseworkers differ substantially in the rate at which they impose broader job search. We exploit this heterogeneity in caseworker stringency and the random assignment of unemployed workers to caseworkers within local offices to evaluate the broader search requirement. Our results show that imposing the broader search requirements reduces job finding. We argue that restricting the job search opportunities forces unemployed workers to search sub-optimally which negatively affects labor market outcomes.
Subjects: 
unemployment
broader job search
caseworker stringency
caseworker meetings
field experiment
JEL: 
J22
J64
J65
J68
C93
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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