Evidence in Labor Market Policies and Implications for Brazil: Job Search Assistance
Challenges such as skill communication difficulties, lack of labor market information, behavioral biases, and geographical and financial limitations can hinder the job search process. Various solutions have been proposed to address these barriers and make the job search process more efficient in terms of readiness and of increasing the quality of matches between candidates and companies. However, evaluations show mixed results from these programs, which do not always lead to lasting improvements in employment and income. These mixed effects highlight the need to assess which characteristics are associated with better outcomes, to inform the design of future interventions. This publication—co-authored by JOI Brasil, a J-PAL LAC initiative, and the Inter-American Development Bank—analyzes the available evidence on job search assistance programs and discusses their implications for public policy formulation in Brazil.