Overview
How people search for and match to jobs reflects how well the labor market is functioning for both workers and employers. Frictions that inhibit effective, efficient searches and matches can lead to worse outcomes for both. New search technologies, including online platforms assisted by artificial intelligence, could improve search and matching but raise questions about their equity and effectiveness. And understanding how switching jobs and occupations affects workers’ career paths and economic trajectories is also critical to improving mobility.
Working Knowledge
Skills and training
April 08, 2022
How Randomized Evaluations Build Evidence to Inform Workforce Program Design, Policy, and Investment
Four takeaways from J-PAL North America and WorkRise joint panel on the power of randomized controlled trials in generating evidence to inform and guide decisionmaking and investment in workforce training.
Job search and matching
April 08, 2022
How “Netflix for Jobs” Is Unlocking Economic Mobility: A Q&A with Scott Jensen
Chief executive officer and vice president of external affairs for Research Improving People's Lives shares insights on how data, science, and technology can identify promising employment and training opportunities for jobseekers looking to earn more or gain new skills.
Employer practices
January 24, 2022
New Evidence Shows Internal Labor Markets Favor Higher-Wage over Lower-Wage Workers
A recent paper from researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management finds occupational stratification limits the benefits that internal hiring can bring to the workers who most need upward mobility.