Working Paper: NBER ID: w21689
Authors: Henry S. Farber; Dan Silverman; Till Von Wachter
Abstract: We use an audit study approach to investigate how unemployment duration, age, and holding a low-level “interim” job affect the likelihood that experienced college-educated females applying for an administrative support job receive a callback from a potential employer. First, the results show no relationship between callback rates and the duration of unemployment. Second, workers age 50 and older are significantly less likely to receive a callback. Third, taking an interim job significantly reduces the likelihood of receiving a callback. Finally, employers who have higher callback rates respond less to observable differences across workers in determining whom to call back. We interpret these results in the context of a model of employer learning about applicant quality.
Keywords: unemployment; job applications; callbacks; audit study; employer behavior
JEL Codes: J6; J62
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| unemployment duration (J64) | callback rates (E52) |
| age (J14) | callback rates (E52) |
| low-level interim job (J63) | callback rates (E52) |
| callback rates (E52) | observable worker differences (J79) |