IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/aecrev/v77y1987i3p446-52.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Informal Job Search and Black Youth Unemployment

Author

Listed:
  • Holzer, Harry J

Abstract

In this paper I analyze how young black and white unemployed jobseekers use various methods of search, and the employment outcomes which result from their use.The focus is on distinguishing informal search methods (i.e.,friends and relatives or direct application without referral) from more formal ones in analyzing racial differences.The results show that the two informal methods of search account for about 90% of the difference in employment probabilities between white and black youth. This also accounts for 57-71% of the difference in unemployment rates between the two. Furthermore, most of these results reflect differences in the ability of these methods to generate job offers, as opposed to differences in search effort or job acceptance rates. However, our ability to explain these differences through personal, family, and household characteristics was generally quite limited.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Holzer, Harry J, 1987. "Informal Job Search and Black Youth Unemployment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(3), pages 446-452, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:77:y:1987:i:3:p:446-52
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8282%28198706%2977%3A3%3C446%3AIJSABY%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4&origin=repec
    File Function: full text
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to JSTOR subscribers. See http://www.jstor.org for details.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Willis, Robert J & Rosen, Sherwin, 1979. "Education and Self-Selection," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(5), pages 7-36, October.
    2. Flinn, Christopher J & Heckman, James J, 1983. "Are Unemployment and Out of the Labor Force Behaviorally Distinct Labor Force States?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 28-42, January.
    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.
    4. Datcher, Linda, 1983. "The Impact of Informal Networks of Quit Behavior," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 65(3), pages 491-495, August.
    5. Kim B. Clark & Lawrence H. Summers, 1982. "The Dynamics of Youth Unemployment," NBER Chapters, in: The Youth Labor Market Problem: Its Nature, Causes, and Consequences, pages 199-234, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Peter Jackson & Edward Montgomery, 1986. "Layoffs, Discharges and Youth Unemployment," NBER Chapters, in: The Black Youth Employment Crisis, pages 115-143, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Albert Rees & Wayne Gray, 1982. "Family Effects in Youth Employment," NBER Chapters, in: The Youth Labor Market Problem: Its Nature, Causes, and Consequences, pages 453-474, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Chirinko, Robert S, 1982. "An Empirical Investigation of the Returns to Job Search," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 498-501, June.
    9. Barron, John M & Gilley, Otis W, 1981. "Job Search and Vacancy Contacts: Note," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(4), pages 747-752, September.
    10. John M. Barron & Wesley Mellow, 1979. "Search Effort in the Labor Market," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 14(3), pages 389-404.
    11. Richard B. Freeman & Harry J. Holzer, 1986. "The Black Youth Employment Crisis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number free86-1.
    12. Lee, Lung-Fei, 1978. "Unionism and Wage Rates: A Simultaneous Equations Model with Qualitative and Limited Dependent Variables," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 19(2), pages 415-433, June.
    13. Freeman, Richard B. & Wise, David A. (ed.), 1982. "The Youth Labor Market Problem," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226261614, September.
    14. Richard B. Freeman, 1979. "Why is There A Youth Labor Market Problem?," NBER Working Papers 0365, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. John Ballen & Richard B. Freeman, 1986. "Transitions between Employment and Nonemployment," NBER Chapters, in: The Black Youth Employment Crisis, pages 75-114, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fougère, Denis & Pradel, Jacqueline & Roger, Muriel, 2009. "Does the public employment service affect search effort and outcomes?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(7), pages 846-869, October.
    2. Harry J. Holzer, 1986. "Black Youth Nonemployment: Duration and Job Search," NBER Chapters, in: The Black Youth Employment Crisis, pages 23-73, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Andrea Weber & Helmut Mahringer, 2008. "Choice and success of job search methods," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 153-178, August.
    4. H. J. Holzer & R. J. LaLonde, "undated". "Job Change and Job Stability among Less-Skilled Young Workers," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 1191-99, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.
    5. Denis Fougère & Jacqueline Pradel & Muriel Roger, 2005. "Does Job-Search Assistance Affect Search Effort and Outcomes ? A Microeconometric Analysis of Public Versus Private Search Methods," Working Papers 2005-33, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    6. 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.
    7. Moffat, John & Yoo, Hong Il, 2015. "Who are the unemployed? Evidence from the United Kingdom," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 61-64.
    8. Mavromaras, Kostas & Polidano, Cain, 2011. "NILS Working paper no 165. Improving the employment rates of people with disabilities through vocational education," NILS Working Papers 26068, National Institute of Labour Studies.
    9. Kevin Donovan & Jianyu Lu & Todd Schoellman, 2018. "Labor Market Flows and Development," 2018 Meeting Papers 976, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. Mavromaras, Kostas & Polidano, Cain, 2011. "Improving the Employment Rates of People with Disabilities through Vocational Education," IZA Discussion Papers 5548, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Márquez, Gustavo & Ruiz-Tagle V., Cristóbal, 2004. "Search Methods and Outcomes in Developing Countries: The Case of Venezuela," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 3250, Inter-American Development Bank.
    12. Gustavo Márquez & Cristobal Ruiz-Tagle, 2004. "Search Methods and Outcomes in Developing Countries: The Case of Venezuela," Research Department Publications 4383, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    13. Mijares, John C., 1997. "Early drug use and quits and discharges among adolescent males," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 439-458.
    14. Peder Pedersen & Torben Schmidt, 2011. "What is unemployment in Europe? Concepts and measurement in the European community household panel," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 705-728, May.
    15. Zenou, Yves, 2007. "High Relocation Costs in Search-Matching Models: Theory and Application to Spatial Mismatch," IZA Discussion Papers 2739, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Gustavo Márquez & Cristobal Ruiz-Tagle, 2004. "Métodos de búsqueda y resultados en países en desarrollo: el caso de Venezuela," Research Department Publications 4384, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    17. Millimet, Daniel L. & Nieswiadomy, Michael & Ryu, Hang & Slottje, Daniel, 2003. "Estimating worklife expectancy: an econometric approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 83-113, March.
    18. Scott Baum & William Mitchell, 2010. "Labour Underutilisation and Gender: Unemployment Versus Hidden-Unemployment," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 29(2), pages 233-248, April.
    19. Edward P. Lazear, 1983. "Raids and Imitation," NBER Working Papers 1158, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Harry J. Holzer & Paul Offner, 2001. "Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Black Men, 1979-2000," JCPR Working Papers 245, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:77:y:1987:i:3:p:446-52. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Michael P. Albert (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeaaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.