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Women Seeking Jobs with Limited Information: Evidence from Iraq

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Listed:
  • Diego A. Martin

    (Growth Lab)

Abstract

Do women apply more for jobs when they know the hiring probability of female job seekers directly from employers? I implemented a randomized control trial and a double-incentivized resume rating to elicit the preferences of employers and job seekers for candidates and vacancies in Iraq. The treatment reveals the job offer rate for women, calculated using the employers’ selection of women divided by the total number of female candidates. After revealing the treatment, the women applied for jobs by three more percentage points than the men in the control group. This paper highlights the value of revealing employers’ preferences to improve the match between female candidates and employers when women underestimate the chances of finding a job.

Suggested Citation

  • Diego A. Martin, 2024. "Women Seeking Jobs with Limited Information: Evidence from Iraq," CID Working Papers 157a, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:157a
    as

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    File URL: https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/sites/projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/2024-02-cid-rfwp-157-women-seeking-jobs-iraq.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Iraq; Application for jobs; Information treatment; Labor market matching; Gender difference;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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