2014年-世界发展银行全球_Testing_Job_Matching_Services_for_Unemployed_Educated_Youth_in_Jordan_2页_746kb

Finance & PSD Impact Summary

Core Content

This document presents the findings of an impact evaluation conducted in Jordan to assess the effectiveness of a job matching service in reducing unemployment among educated youth. The study, carried out by Matthew Groh, David McKenzie, Nour Shammout, and Tara Vishwanath, explores the role of search and matching frictions in the labor market and examines whether a structured matching service can help bridge the gap between job seekers and employers.

Main Viewpoints

• High Unemployment Among Educated Youth: Despite high unemployment rates, many firms in Jordan report difficulty in finding qualified graduates, indicating a mismatch in the labor market.
• Search and Matching Frictions: Theoretical models suggest that high search costs and limited access to reliable information contribute to persistent unemployment. In Jordan, these frictions are exacerbated by a lack of internships and work experience among graduates, and by the reliance on informal networks like wasta.
• Job Matching Service Development: A labor market matching service was developed in collaboration with a Jordanian psychologist and a leading training firm, BDC. The service evaluated job seekers on various skills and matched them with firms based on skill and personality profiles.
• Randomized Experiment: The study used a randomized controlled trial, with 1,354 unemployed graduates assigned to a treatment or control group. Firms were also randomized into treatment and control groups, with a separate booster sample of larger firms.

Key Information

Job Matching Process

• Skill Assessment: Job seekers underwent a 4-hour assessment measuring mental reasoning, English proficiency, Excel skills, soft skills, and personality traits.
• Firm Needs Analysis: Firms provided detailed profiles of their job requirements, including the importance of specific personality traits and skills.
• Matching Algorithm: BDC identified 3–5 potential candidates for each job opening and facilitated communication between them and the firms.

Experimental Results

• Matching Success: 56% of job seekers were matched with at least one firm, resulting in 1,143 matches.
• Interest and Interview Rates: Only 28% of the matches led to job seeker interest, and 55% of those resulted in firm interviews.
• Job Offers and Acceptance: 10% of matches led to interviews, and 54% of these interviews resulted in job offers. However, 30 job seekers rejected the offers, and 15 quit within the first month.
• Final Employment Outcomes: Only 9 jobs lasted at least a month, indicating limited success of the matching service in achieving long-term employment.

Reasons for Limited Success

• Reservation Prestige: Educated youth in Jordan often reject job offers due to perceived social costs and family prestige associated with certain types of employment, even if the jobs are suitable.
• Firm Behavior: Despite firms reporting difficulty in finding qualified workers, they were able to fill most positions within 4 weeks, suggesting that the labor market is more efficient than previously thought.

Policy Implications

The study highlights that the issue of high unemployment among educated youth is not solely due to search frictions or minimum wages. It suggests that social and cultural factors play a significant role in shaping labor market outcomes. Based on these findings, the authors propose two main policy directions:

1. Firm-Side Interventions:

   • Encourage the creation of more skilled jobs in the private sector.
   • Address regulatory and entry barriers that hinder firm growth and innovation.

2. Labor-Supply Side Interventions:

   • Promote public sector reforms to make jobs more comparable to private sector opportunities.
   • Encourage the perception and celebration of private sector work, including internships.
   • Provide career guidance within universities to help graduates consider a broader range of employment options.

The authors also suggest that reducing the social costs of less prestigious jobs may require long-term efforts and is less clear in terms of policy action. However, they emphasize that the approach used in this study could be adapted and more successful in other countries.

Conclusion

The study underscores the complexity of youth unemployment in Jordan and the need for a multifaceted policy approach that addresses both structural and social barriers in the labor market. While job matching services can play a role, they must be complemented by broader efforts to change perceptions and improve job market dynamics.