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Using Internet Data to Analyse the Labour Market: A Methodological Enquiry

Author

Listed:
  • Kureková, Lucia Mýtna

    (Slovak Academy of Sciences)

  • Beblavy, Miroslav

    (Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS))

  • Thum, Anna-Elisabeth

    (Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS))

Abstract

With the growth of the Internet, online job portals have become an important medium for job matching. This paper focuses on methodological issues arising from the usage of online job vacancy data and voluntary web-based surveys to analyse the labour market. In addition to providing a comprehensive review of the literature based on online data, we highlight the advantages and possible disadvantages of using online data and suggest strategies for overcoming selected methodological issues. We underline the difficulties in adjusting for representativeness of online job vacancies, but nevertheless argue that this rich source of data should be exploited.

Suggested Citation

  • Kureková, Lucia Mýtna & Beblavy, Miroslav & Thum, Anna-Elisabeth, 2014. "Using Internet Data to Analyse the Labour Market: A Methodological Enquiry," IZA Discussion Papers 8555, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8555
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Kailing Shen & Peter Kuhn, 2013. "Do Chinese Employers Avoid Hiring Overqualified Workers? Evidence from an Internet Job Board," Research in Labor Economics, in: Labor Market Issues in China, pages 1-30, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    4. Nikolaos Askitas & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2009. "Google Econometrics and Unemployment Forecasting," Applied Economics Quarterly (formerly: Konjunkturpolitik), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 55(2), pages 107-120.
    5. van Ours, Jan & Ridder, Geert, 1992. "Vacancies and the Recruitment of New Employees," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 10(2), pages 138-155, April.
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    7. Constantin Mang, 2012. "Online Job Search and Matching Quality," ifo Working Paper Series 147, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    8. Kea Tijdens & Brian Fabo, 2014. "Using Web Data to Measure the Demand for Skills," Discussion Papers 21, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    9. Benjamin Edelman, 2012. "Using Internet Data for Economic Research," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(2), pages 189-206, Spring.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stefano Visintin & Kea Tijdens & Maarten van Klaveren, 2015. "Skill mismatch among migrant workers: evidence from a large multi-country dataset," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-34, December.
    2. Nikolaos Askitas & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2015. "The internet as a data source for advancement in social sciences," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 36(1), pages 2-12, April.
    3. Raymundo M. Campos-Vázquez & Julio César Martínez Sánchez, 2024. "Habilidades buscadas por las empresas en el mercado laboral mexicano: un análisis de las ofertas laborales publicadas en internet/Skills sought by companies in the Mexican labor market: An analysis o," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 39(2), pages 243–278-2.
    4. Nuarpear Lekfuangfu & Voraprapa Nakavachara & Paphatsorn Sawaengsuksant, 2017. "Glancing at Labour Market Mismatch with User-generated Internet Data," PIER Discussion Papers 53, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    5. Beblavý, Miroslav & Fabo, Brian & Lenaerts, Karolien, 2016. "Skills Requirements for the 30 Most-Frequently Advertised Occupations in the United States: An analysis based on online vacancy data," CEPS Papers 11406, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    6. Beblavý, Miroslav & Fabo, Brian & Lenaerts, Karolien, 2016. "Demand for Digital Skills in the US Labour Market: The IT Skills Pyramid," CEPS Papers 12055, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    7. Sandra M. Leitner & Oliver Reiter, 2020. "Employers’ Skills Requirements in the Austrian Labour Market: On the Relative Importance of ICT, Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills over the Past 15 Years," wiiw Working Papers 190, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    8. Grybauskas, Andrius & Cárdenas-Rubio, Jeisson, 2024. "Unlocking employer insights: Using large language models to explore human-centric aspects in the context of industry 5.0," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    internet; job; labour market; matching; methodology; occupation; online; representativeness; vacancy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E4 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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