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A Caseworker Like Me: Does the Similarity between Unemployed and Caseworker Increase Job Placements?

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Author Info
Behncke, Stefanie () (University of St. Gallen)
Frölich, Markus () (University of Mannheim)
Lechner, Michael () (University of St. Gallen)

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Abstract

This paper examines whether the chances of job placements improve if unemployed persons are counselled by caseworkers who belong to the same social group, defined by gender, age, education, and nationality. Based on an unusually informative dataset, which links Swiss unemployed to their caseworkers, we find positive employment effects of about 4 percentage points if caseworker and unemployed belong to the same social group. Coincidence in a single characteristic, e.g. same gender of caseworker and unemployed, does not lead to detectable effects on employment. These results, obtained by statistical matching methods, are confirmed by several robustness checks.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 3437.

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Length: 51 pages
Date of creation: Apr 2008
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3437

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Related research
Keywords: social identity; social interactions; public employment services; unemployment; gender; age; education; treatment effects; matching estimators;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Public Policy
C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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