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In Search of a Job: Forecasting Employment Growth Using Google Trends

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Listed:
  • Daniel Borup
  • Erik Christian Montes Schütte

Abstract

We show that Google search activity on relevant terms is a strong out-of-sample predictor for future employment growth in the United States over the period 2004–2019 at both short and long horizons. Starting from an initial search term “jobs,” we construct a large panel of 172 variables using Google’s own algorithms to find semantically related search queries. The best Google Trends model achieves an out-of-sample R2 between 29% and 62% at horizons spanning from one month to one year ahead, strongly outperforming benchmarks based on a single search query or a large set of macroeconomic, financial, and sentiment predictors. This strong predictability is due to heterogeneity in search terms and extends to industry-level and state-level employment growth using state-level specific search activity. Encompassing tests indicate that when the Google Trends panel is exploited using a nonlinear model, it fully encompasses the macroeconomic forecasts and provides significant information in excess of those.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Borup & Erik Christian Montes Schütte, 2022. "In Search of a Job: Forecasting Employment Growth Using Google Trends," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 186-200, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jnlbes:v:40:y:2022:i:1:p:186-200
    DOI: 10.1080/07350015.2020.1791133
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    Cited by:

    1. Diebold, Céline, 2025. "Using Google search data to examine factory automation and its effect on employment," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1301-1328.
    2. Bantis, Evripidis & Clements, Michael P. & Urquhart, Andrew, 2023. "Forecasting GDP growth rates in the United States and Brazil using Google Trends," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 1909-1924.
    3. Lu, Fei & Ma, Feng & Feng, Lin, 2024. "Carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth: New evidence from GDP forecasting," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    4. Laurent Ferrara & Anna Simoni, 2023. "When are Google Data Useful to Nowcast GDP? An Approach via Preselection and Shrinkage," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(4), pages 1188-1202, October.
    5. Borup, Daniel & Christensen, Bent Jesper & Mühlbach, Nicolaj Søndergaard & Nielsen, Mikkel Slot, 2023. "Targeting predictors in random forest regression," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 841-868.
    6. Atin Aboutorabi & Ga'etan de Rassenfosse, 2024. "Nowcasting R&D Expenditures: A Machine Learning Approach," Papers 2407.11765, arXiv.org.
    7. Cebrián, Eduardo & Domenech, Josep, 2024. "Addressing Google Trends inconsistencies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    8. Clément Cariou & Amélie Charles & Olivier Darné, 2024. "Are national or regional surveys useful for nowcasting regional jobseekers? The case of the French region of Pays‐de‐la‐Loire," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 2341-2357, September.
    9. Lu, Fei & Ma, Feng & Hu, Shiyang, 2024. "Does energy consumption play a key role? Re-evaluating the energy consumption-economic growth nexus from GDP growth rates forecasting," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    10. Niu, Zibo & Demirer, Riza & Suleman, Muhammad Tahir & Zhang, Hongwei & Zhu, Xuehong, 2024. "Do industries predict stock market volatility? Evidence from machine learning models," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Alexander Berry & Molly Maloney & David Neumark, 2024. "The Missing Link? Using LinkedIn Data to Measure Race, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Employment Outcomes at Individual Companies," NBER Chapters, in: Race, Ethnicity, and Economic Statistics for the 21st Century, pages 273-323, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Lolić, Ivana & Matošec, Marina & Sorić, Petar, 2024. "DIY google trends indicators in social sciences: A methodological note," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Diogo de Prince & Emerson Fernandes Marçal & Pedro L. Valls Pereira, 2022. "Forecasting Industrial Production Using Its Aggregated and Disaggregated Series or a Combination of Both: Evidence from One Emerging Market Economy," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-34, June.
    14. Borup, Daniel & Rapach, David E. & Schütte, Erik Christian Montes, 2023. "Mixed-frequency machine learning: Nowcasting and backcasting weekly initial claims with daily internet search volume data," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1122-1144.
    15. Kerkemeier, Marco & Kruse-Becher, Robinson, 2022. "Join the club! Dynamics of global ESG indices convergence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods
    • C55 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Large Data Sets: Modeling and Analysis
    • E17 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity

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