Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 97 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 1-8 of 210
Two hands are seen stitching together leaves to form a plate

The Impact of Workers' Financial Stability on Their Workplace Productivity in India

Supreet Kaur
Sendhil Mullainathan
Suanna Oh
Frank Schilbach
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to gauge whether enhanced financial stability impacted worker productivity in India. They found that giving small-scale manufacturing workers financial relief in the form of early wage payments increased their productivity and attention to detail on the...
A Community Health Worker addresses a group of people in Kenya.

The Impact of Meritocratic Promotions and Pay Progression on Health Care Workers' Productivity in Sierra Leone

Erika Deserranno
Philipp Kastrau
Researchers tested the impact of a meritocratic promotion system and beliefs about pay progression on the productivity of Community Health Workers in Sierra Leone. A combination of meritocracy and the promise of a steep salary increase after promotion led workers to make more health care visits...
two women in a dentist's office

The Impact of Free Dental Health Services on Employment in Chile

Francisco Gallego
Cristián Larroulet
Andrea Repetto
Researchers evaluated the impact of access to a package of free dental services on employment levels for urban residents of Santiago, Chile. Results found that participants with access to these services had better dental health, and that self-esteem and short-term employment increased among women...
Young Carpenter in Egypt

The Impact of Stigma on Labor Market Assistance Take-Up in Egypt

Adam Osman
Jamin D. Speer
Researchers studied the impact of acknowledging and refuting stigma on take-up of labor market assistance programs. The results of three randomized evaluations indicated that mentioning stigma, even with the aim of dispelling it, generally reduced take-up of these programs.
A matching meeting with firms in Ghana

Matching Small Firms with Apprentice Workers in Ghana

Morgan Hardy
Jamie McCasland
Researchers evaluated the effects of a national apprenticeship training program on the firms that received apprentices. Firms that received apprentices increased their profits as well as employment.
Recruiter reviews three resumes at a desk with coffee and a laptop

Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record in the United States

Zoe Cullen
Will Dobbie
Mitchell Hoffman
Workers with criminal records face substantially lower chances of securing employment compared to similar workers without such records. Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of different approaches, including wage subsidies, crime and safety insurance, past performance reviews, criminal record...
Pakistani woman applying for a job online through the Job Talaash platform

Follow-Up Phone Calls to Reduce the Costs of Job Search among Job Seekers in Pakistan

Erica Field
Robert Garlick
Nivedhitha Subramanian
Kate Vyborny
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of reducing the psychological costs of job applications, such as the tendency to postpone applications because completing a task today seems more burdensome than tomorrow, on job application rates and interviews in Lahore, Pakistan...
J-PAL logo

Job Training and Matching to Increase Youth Employment in Egypt

Ahmed Elsayed
Adam Osman
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to determine the impact of job matching, job training, and counseling programs on youth employment in Egypt. The job training programs improved labor market outcomes such as employment, particularly for women. However, the intervention did not have a...