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Coworkers, Networks, and Job Search Outcomes

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  • Weber, Andrea
  • Saygin, Peri
  • Weynandt, Michele

Abstract

Social networks are an important channel of information transmission in the labor market. In this paper investigate how displaced workers searching for new jobs benefit from information provided by their former coworkers. In line with the theoretical and empirical literature we find that the employment status networks members matters for the job finding rate. We further analyze the mechanisms through which employed contacts affect job search outcomes and find that (i) the types of firms at which the contacts work are important and (ii) contacts with similar characteristics as the displaced worker lead to better outcomes. Our findings strongly indicate that job referrals from network members are the main mechanism by which social contacts influence job search outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Weber, Andrea & Saygin, Peri & Weynandt, Michele, 2014. "Coworkers, Networks, and Job Search Outcomes," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100533, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc14:100533
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    Cited by:

    1. Deepti Goel & Kevin Lang, 2019. "Social Ties and the Job Search of Recent Immigrants," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 72(2), pages 355-381, March.
    2. Chen-Zion, Ayal & Rauch, James E., 2020. "History dependence, cohort attachment, and job referrals in networks of close relationships," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 75-95.
    3. Panle Jia Barwick & Yanyan Liu & Eleonora Patacchini & Qi Wu, 2019. "Information, Mobile Communication, and Referral Effects," NBER Working Papers 25873, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Albrecht Glitz & Rune Vejlin, 2021. "Learning through Coworker Referrals," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 42, pages 37-71, October.
    5. Allouch, Nizar, 2017. "The cost of segregation in (social) networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 329-342.
    6. Schank, Thorsten & Bossler, Mario & Mosthaf, Alexander, 2016. "More female manager hires through more female managers? Evidence from Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145733, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. Bryan S. Graham, 2019. "Network Data," NBER Working Papers 26577, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Balázs Lengyel & Rikard H. Eriksson, 2015. "Co-worker networks and productivity growth in regions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1513, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2015.
    9. Müller, Dagmar, 2020. "Lost opportunities: Market work during high school, establishment closures and the impact on career prospects," Working Paper Series 2020:17, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    10. Glitz, Albrecht, 2017. "Coworker networks in the labour market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 218-230.
    11. Balázs Lengyel & Rikard H. Eriksson, 2017. "Co-worker networks, labour mobility and productivity growth in regions," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 635-660.
    12. Hawranek, Franziska & Schanne, Norbert, 2014. "Your very private job agency : job referrals based on residential location networks," IAB-Discussion Paper 201401, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    13. Levati, Lorenzo Maria & Lalanne, Marie, 2020. "The impact of job referrals on employment outcomes in top corporate positions," SAFE Working Paper Series 268, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    14. Eliason, Marcus & Hensvik, Lena & Kramarz, Francis & Skans, Oskar Nordström, 2023. "Social connections and the sorting of workers to firms," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 233(2), pages 468-506.
    15. Boza, István & Ilyés, Virág, 2018. "A korábbi munkatársak bérekre gyakorolt hatása [The influence of previous employment on wages]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 726-767.
    16. Ilyés, Virág & Sebők, Anna, 2020. "Egyetemről a munkaerőpiacra. Felsőoktatási ismeretségek hatása a munkaerőpiaci kilátásokra [From university to working life - the effect peers in higher education have on labour-market outcomes]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(10), pages 993-1028.
    17. Müller, Dagmar, 2021. "Lost Opportunities: Work during High School, Establishment Closures and the Impact on Career Prospects," Working Paper Series 1381, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    18. Clara Welteke, 2015. "Peers at Work - a Brief Overview of the Literature on Peer Effects at the Workplace and the Policy Implications," DIW Roundup: Politik im Fokus 68, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    19. Marcelo Arbex & Ricardo Freguglia & Rafael Siano, 2016. "Network Centrality in Labor Markets and Wage Dynamics," Working Papers 1609, University of Windsor, Department of Economics.
    20. Focacci, Chiara Natalie & Santarelli, Enrico, 2021. "Job Training, Remote Working, and Self-Employment: Displaced Workers Beyond Employment Hysteresis," GLO Discussion Paper Series 780, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    21. Bryan S. Graham, 2019. "Network Data," CeMMAP working papers CWP71/19, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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