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The virtues of going virtual

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Goller
  • Chiara Graf
  • Stefan C. Wolter

Abstract

Career and job fairs are frequently used instruments to improve the matching between employees and employers as well as between employees and professions. Despite their importance, however, their impact has been under-researched. Using an innovative dataset that measures searches on the largest platform for apprenticeship vacancies in real-time and the necessity that some fairs had to switch from in-person to virtual during the COVID-19 phase unexpectedly, we can show that virtual fairs not only had a stronger immediate positive impact on the number of searches for apprenticeship vacancies but also expanded the search radius for different professions.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Goller & Chiara Graf & Stefan C. Wolter, 2024. "The virtues of going virtual," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0224, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0224
    as

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    File URL: http://repec.business.uzh.ch/RePEc/iso/leadinghouse/0224_lhwpaper.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel Goller & Stefan C. Wolter, 2021. "“Too shocked to search” The COVID-19 shutdowns’ impact on the search for apprenticeships," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 157(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Chakravorty, Bhaskar & Arulampalam, Wiji & Bhatiya, Apurav Yash & Imbert, Clément & Rathelot, Roland, 2024. "Can information about jobs improve the effectiveness of vocational training? Experimental evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Goller, Daniel & Wolter, Stefan C., 2025. "Reaching for gold! The impact of a positive reputation shock on career choice," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    4. Beam, Emily A., 2016. "Do job fairs matter? Experimental evidence on the impact of job-fair attendance," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 32-40.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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