IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/126847.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The reproduction of structural inequalities in online job search strategies and outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • De Marco, Stefano
  • Dumont, Guillaume
  • Helsper, Ellen Johanna

Abstract

Does digital stratification foster inequalities in access to work and employment? We address this question by examining inequalities related to online job search skills and the outcomes of the online search process. Results from a representative survey of 1103 Spanish jobseekers show that online job search skills positively affect the chances of getting an interview through employment platforms but that they are unevenly distributed. Online job search skills are more important than other digital resources, including basic digital skills, in determining positive outcomes of online job searches though there are still inequalities in getting an interview independent of either. This calls for considering domain-specific digital skills both in research and in practice alongside tackling traditional inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • De Marco, Stefano & Dumont, Guillaume & Helsper, Ellen Johanna, 2025. "The reproduction of structural inequalities in online job search strategies and outcomes," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126847, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:126847
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/126847/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. Jason Faberman & Andreas I. Mueller & Ayşegül Şahin & Giorgio Topa, 2022. "Job Search Behavior Among the Employed and Non‐Employed," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(4), pages 1743-1779, July.
    2. 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 637-655, June.
    3. Rajiv Garg & Rahul Telang, 2018. "To Be or Not to Be Linked: Online Social Networks and Job Search by Unemployed Workforce," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(8), pages 3926-3941, August.
    4. Kory Kroft & Devin G. Pope, 2014. "Does Online Search Crowd Out Traditional Search and Improve Matching Efficiency? Evidence from Craigslist," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(2), pages 259-303.
    5. Peter Kuhn & Hani Mansour, 2014. "Is Internet Job Search Still Ineffective?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(581), pages 1213-1233, December.
    6. Konrad Turek & Kène Henkens, 2020. "How Skill Requirements Affect the Likelihood of Recruitment of Older Workers in Poland: The Indirect Role of Age Stereotypes," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(4), pages 550-570, August.
    7. Helsper, Ellen & Schneider, Luc & van Deursen, Alexander J. A. M. & van Laar, Ester, 2020. "The youth skills digital indicator: report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySkills digital skills measure," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108878, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. De Marco, Stefano & Dumont, Guillaume & Helsper, Ellen & Díaz-Guerra, Alejandro & Antino, Mirko & Rodríguez-Muñoz, Alfredo & Martínez-Cantos, José-Luis, 2023. "Jobless and burnt out: digital inequality and online access to the labor market," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120497, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Mireia Bolíbar & Joan Miquel Verd & Oriol Barranco, 2019. "The Downward Spiral of Youth Unemployment: An Approach Considering Social Networks and Family Background," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 33(3), pages 401-421, June.
    10. Gershon, Ilana, 2017. "Down and Out in the New Economy," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226452142, October.
    11. Stefano De Marco & Guillaume Dumont & Ellen Johanna Helsper & Alejandro Díaz-Guerra & Mirko Antino & Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz & José-Luis Martínez-Cantos, 2023. "Jobless and Burnt Out: Digital Inequality and Online Access to the Labor Market," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 184-197.
    12. Alexander J.A.M. Van Deursen & Ellen J. Helsper & Rebecca Eynon, 2016. "Development and validation of the Internet Skills Scale (ISS)," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64485, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Ester van Laar & Alexander J. A. M. van Deursen & Jan A. G. M. van Dijk & Jos de Haan, 2020. "Determinants of 21st-Century Skills and 21st-Century Digital Skills for Workers: A Systematic Literature Review," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440199, January.
    14. Stefano De Marco & Guillaume Dumont & Ellen Johanna Helsper & Alejandro Díaz-Guerra & Mirko Antino & Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz & José-Luis Martínez-Cantos, 2023. "Jobless and Burnt Out: Digital Inequality and Online Access to the Labor Market," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 184-197.
    15. Stefano de Marco & Guillaume Dumont & Ellen Johanna Helsper & Alejandro Díaz-Guerra & Mirko Antino & Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz & José-Luis Martínez-Cantos, 2023. "Jobless and Burnt Out : Digital Inequality and Online Access to the Labor Market," Post-Print hal-04348219, HAL.
    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. Alice Melchior & Simone Haasler, 2023. "Digitalization of Working Worlds and Social Inclusion," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 156-159.
    2. R. Jason Faberman & Marianna Kudlyak, 2019. "The Intensity of Job Search and Search Duration," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 327-357, July.
    3. Leonardo Fabio Morales & Carlos Ospino & Nicole Amaral, 2021. "Online Vacancies and its Role in Labor Market Performance," Borradores de Economia 1174, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    4. Czernich, Nina, 2014. "Does broadband internet reduce the unemployment rate? Evidence for Germany," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 32-45.
    5. Sanjay K. Chugh & Christian Merkl, 2016. "Efficiency And Labor Market Dynamics In A Model Of Labor Selection," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1371-1404, November.
    6. Gürtzgen, Nicole & Lochner, Benjamin & Pohlan, Laura & van den Berg, Gerard J., 2021. "Does online search improve the match quality of new hires?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    7. Hayato Kanayama & Suguru Otani, 2024. "Nonparametric Estimation of Matching Efficiency and Elasticity in a Spot Gig Work Platform: 2019-2023," Papers 2412.19024, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2025.
    8. Morgan Raux, 2019. "Looking for the "Best and Brightest": Hiring difficulties and high-skilled foreign workers," AMSE Working Papers 1934, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    9. Dan A. Black & Lars Skipper & Jeffrey A. Smith & Jeffrey Andrew Smith, 2023. "Firm Training," CESifo Working Paper Series 10268, CESifo.
    10. Stefano De Marco & Guillaume Dumont & Ellen Johanna Helsper & Alejandro Díaz-Guerra & Mirko Antino & Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz & José-Luis Martínez-Cantos, 2023. "Jobless and Burnt Out: Digital Inequality and Online Access to the Labor Market," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 184-197.
    11. R. Jason Faberman & Andreas I. Mueller & Ayşegül Şahin & Giorgio Topa, 2022. "Job Search Behavior Among the Employed and Non‐Employed," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(4), pages 1743-1779, July.
    12. Adams-Prassl, Abi & Boneva, Teodora & Golin, Marta & Rauh, Christopher, 2023. "Perceived returns to job search," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Bhuller, Manudeep & Kostøl, Andreas & Vigtel, Trond Christian, 2019. "How Broadband Internet Affects Labor Market Matching," Memorandum 10/2019, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    14. Lutgen, Vanessa & Van der Linden, Bruno, 2015. "Regional equilibrium unemployment theory at the age of the Internet," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 50-67.
    15. Grzybowski Lukasz & Patel Zubair Maghmood, 2023. "The Impact of Mobile Phones on Change in Employment Status in South Africa," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 85-114, August.
    16. Martin Abel & Rulof Burger & Eliana Carranza & Patrizio Piraino, 2019. "Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap? The Effect of Plan-Making Prompts on Job Search and Employment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 284-301, April.
    17. Peter Kuhn, 2014. "The internet as a labor market matchmaker," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-18, May.
    18. Gürtzgen, Nicole & (né Nolte), André Diegmann & Pohlan, Laura & van den Berg, Gerard J., 2021. "Do digital information technologies help unemployed job seekers find a job? Evidence from the broadband internet expansion in Germany," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    19. Campbell, Richard Cole, 2024. "Need for speed: Fiber and student achievement," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6).
    20. Suguru Otani, 2024. "Nonparametric Estimation of Matching Efficiency and Elasticity on a Private On-the-Job Search Platform: Evidence from Japan, 2014-2024," Papers 2410.17011, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2025.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    digital inequality; online job search skills; employment platforms; digital skills;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ehl:lserod:126847. 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: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.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.