A Field Experiment on Labor Market Speeddates for Unemployed Workers

Abstract

We conduct a field experiment to evaluate labor market speeddates where unemployed workers meet temporary employment agencies. Participation in such events increases immediate job finding by six to seven percentage points. Afterwards employment effects diminish, suggesting that temporary employment has no long‐lasting effect on employment prospects. While the intervention is cost‐effective for the unemployment insurance (UI) administration, higher labor earnings of treated job seekers do not compensate for the decline in benefit payments. Survey evidence shows that speeddate participation increases job search motivation and reduces reservation wages. These findings concur with predictions of a model where job seekers update their labor market beliefs.