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Density, Social Networks and Job Search Methods: Theory and Application to Egypt

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Author Info
Wahba, Jackline (University of Southampton)
Zenou, Yves () (The Research Institute of Industrial Economics)

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of the size and the quality of social networks on the probability to find a job. We first develop a theoretical model in which individuals are embedded within a network of social relationships. Workers can obtain information about jobs via employed friends belonging to his/her social network. Workers can be either uneducated or educated. We show that, conditional on being employed, the probability to find a job through social networks, relative to other search methods, increases and is concave with the size of the network. The effects are stronger for the uneducated. There is however a critical size of the network above which this probability decreases. We also show that the probability to find a job through friends and relatives decreases with the local unemployment rate. We test empirically these theoretical findings for Egypt using the 1998 Labor Market Survey. The empirical evidence supports the predictions of our theoretical model.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Research Institute of Industrial Economics in its series Working Paper Series with number 629.

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Length: 42 pages
Date of creation: 19 Oct 2004
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Handle: RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:0629

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Related research
Keywords: Education; Social Networks; Search Methods;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
O12 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Calvó-Armengol, Antoni & Zenou, Yves, 2003. "Job Matching, Social Network and Word-of-Mouth Communication," IZA Discussion Papers 771, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Pissarides, C A, 1979. "Job Matchings with State Employment Agencies and Random Search," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 89(356), pages 818-33, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Holzer, Harry J, 1988. "Search Method Use by Unemployed Youth," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 1-20, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Topa, Giorgio, 2001. "Social Interactions, Local Spillovers and Unemployment," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 68(2), pages 261-95, April.
    Other versions:
  5. Fafchamps, Marcel & Lund, Susan, 2003. "Risk-sharing networks in rural Philippines," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 261-287, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Assaad, Ragui, 1997. "Kinship ties, social networks, and segmented labor markets: evidence from the construction sector in Egypt," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 1-30, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Mortensen, Dale T. & Vishwanath, Tara, 1994. "Personal contacts and earnings : It is who you know!," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 187-201, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Montgomery, James D, 1991. "Social Networks and Labor-Market Outcomes: Toward an Economic Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(5), pages 1407-18, December.
  9. Blau, David M & Robins, Philip K, 1990. "Job Search Outcomes for the Employed and Unemployed," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(3), pages 637-55, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Kaivan Munshi, 2003. "Networks In The Modern Economy: Mexican Migrants In The U.S. Labor Market," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 118(2), pages 549-599, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Calvó-Armengol, Antoni & Verdier, Thierry & Zenou, Yves, 2006. "Strong and Weak Ties in Employment and Crime," CEPR Discussion Papers 5448, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. John T. Addison & Pedro Portugal, 2002. "Job search methods and outcomes," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 54(3), pages 505-533, July.
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  15. Mazumdar, Dipak, 1987. "Rural-urban migration in developing countries," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: E. S. Mills (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 28, pages 1097-1128 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Harry J. Holzer, 1987. "Job search by employed and unemployed youth," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 40(4), pages 601-611, July.
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Jukka Petteri Lahtonen & Sanna-Mari Hynninen, 2005. "Does population density matter in the matching process of heterogeneous job seekers and vacancies?," ERSA conference papers ersa05p438, European Regional Science Association. [Downloadable!]
  2. Battu, Harminder & Seaman, Paul & Zenou, Yves, 2004. "Job Contact Networks and the Ethnic Minorities," Working Paper Series 628, Research Institute of Industrial Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Federico Cingano & Alfonso Rosolia, 2006. "People I Know: Workplace Networks and Job Search Outcomes," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 600, Bank of Italy, Economic Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  4. Patrick Bayer & Stephen L. Ross & Giorgio Topa, 2004. "Place of Work and Place of Residence: Informal Hiring Networks and Labor Market Outcomes," Working papers 2004-07, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Oct 2005. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Martin Kahanec & Mariapia Mendola, 2007. "Social Determinants of Labor Market Status of Ethnic Minorities in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 3146, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Jellal, Mohamed & Zenou, Yves, 2005. "Ethnic Diversity, Market Structure and Risk Sharing in Developing Countries," CEPR Discussion Papers 5366, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Patacchini, Eleonora & Zenou, Yves, 2007. "Ethnicity and Spatial Externalities in Crime," CEPR Discussion Papers 6130, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Patrick Bayer & Stephen L. Ross, 2006. "Identifying Individual and Group Effects in the Presence of Sorting: A Neighborhood Effects Application," Working papers 2006-13, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Jan 2009. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Sabrina Di Addario, 2005. "Job Search in Thick Markets: Evidence from Italy," Development Working Papers 198, Centro Studi Luca d\'Agliano, University of Milano. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Selod, Harris & Zenou, Yves, 2005. "City Structure, Job Search and Labour Discrimination. Theory and Policy Implications," CEPR Discussion Papers 5009, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Florence Kondylis, 2008. "Conflict displacement and labor market outcomes in post-war Bosnia & Herzegovina," HiCN Working Papers 45, Households in Conflict Network. [Downloadable!]
  12. Sanna-Mari Hynninen & Jukka Lahtonen, 2007. "Does population density matter in the process of matching heterogeneous job seekers and vacancies?," Empirica, Springer, vol. 34(5), pages 397-410, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Patacchini, Eleonora & Zenou, Yves, 2008. "Ethnic Networks and Employment Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 3331, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  14. Aomar Ibourk & Bénédicte Maillard & Sergio Perelman & Henri Sneessens, 2004. "Aggregate Matching Efficiency: A Stochastic Production Frontier Approach, France 1990–1994," Empirica, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 1-25, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Dante Contreras & Daniela Zapata & Diana Kruger & Marcelo Ochoa, 2007. "The Role of Social Networks in the Economic Opportunities of Bolivian Women," RES Working Papers 3240, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  16. Dante Contreras & Daniela Zapata & Diana Kruger & Marcelo Ochoa, 2007. "El papel de las redes sociales en las oportunidades económicas de las mujeres de Bolivia," RES Working Papers 3241, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  17. Dante Contreras Guajardo & Diana kruger & Marcelo Ochoa & Daniela Zapata, 2007. "The role of social networks in employment outcomes of Bolivian women," Working Papers wp251, University of Chile, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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