Policy Insights in Labor Markets
J-PAL’s Labor Markets sector focuses on helping people access quality work. Our policy insight below summarizes general lessons from randomized evaluations on reducing search barriers for jobseekers.
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Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago Booth School of Business) and Stefano Caria (University of Warwick), Labor Markets Co-Chairs
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Improving job seekers’ employment and earnings through credible skills signals
Last updated: November 2024
Credible skills signals help alleviate information barriers for both job seekers and firms, and often improve employment and earnings at a low cost. More and better information enables applicants to have a more effective job search, often resulting in higher-quality jobs and better employment...
Public works programs and labor market outcomes
Last updated: July 2024
Public works programs in low- and middle-income countries provide short-term employment and earnings boosts to participants. These programs usually do not lead to lasting labor market benefits when measured several years after implementation, though they often generate lasting effects on asset...
Vocational and skills training programs to improve labor market outcomes
Last updated: March 2023
While vocational and skills training programs have had mixed results, those that included practical experience, soft-skills training, and job referrals often increased the likelihood of being employed and earnings of people who were targeted. Vocational training programs often helped trainees...
Access to childcare to improve women’s economic empowerment
Last updated: February 2023
Access to childcare can increase women’s employment outcomes by enabling their labor force participation, shift to more desirable work, or increase the productivity in their businesses. However, in cases where there are additional barriers to working outside the home, childcare may not be sufficient...
Reducing search barriers for job seekers
Last updated: January 2022
Programs focused on reducing job search barriers often improve job seekers’ employment outcomes. These programs can help job seekers increase their search effort, identify where and how to look for jobs, surmount geographic and financial obstacles to finding a job, and communicate qualifications to...
Changing resumes to reduce hiring discrimination
Last updated: February 2019
Randomized evaluations show strong evidence of hiring discrimination against minority and underrepresented groups in many countries, with most evidence so far coming from developed countries. Where it has been tested using randomization, removing identifying information on job applications had...
Business Training and Consulting Management practices are thought to play an important role in firm growth, and giving firm owners access to subsidized business training services and consulting could be one way to support their growth. Business training programs tend to teach standard best practices in a classroom setting, such as record keeping and conducting market research, while consultants work closely with firms to identify areas for potential improvement and to support the implementation of recommended actions.
Teaching business skills to support microentrepreneurs
Last updated: September 2023
Traditional business skills training programs lead to modest increases in microentrepreneurs’ profits and sales. Alternative training programs can lead to larger impacts, but some programs require more definitive evidence of their effectiveness.
