Impact of Online Job Portals on Youth Unemployment: Experimental Evidence from India

Last registered on December 06, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact of Online Job Portals on Youth Unemployment: Experimental Evidence from India
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012653
Initial registration date
December 04, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
December 06, 2023, 8:57 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Apurav Yash Bhatiya
Affiliation
University of Birmingham
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Bhaskar Chakravorty
PI Affiliation
University of Warwick
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Gaurav Chiplunkar
PI Affiliation
University of Virginia
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Clément Imbert
PI Affiliation
Sciences Po
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-09-04
End date
2024-09-30
Keywords
Labor
Additional Keywords
Online job Portals; Vocational Training Programs;
JEL code(s)
D83, D84, R23
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In this study, we explore the effectiveness of online job portals in reducing youth unemployment in rural India, focusing on the Work India platform. This randomized controlled trial of around 500 trainees from 20 vocational training batches in Bihar, predominantly targeting marginalized groups like females and scheduled castes and tribes. The intervention consists of hands-on training on using Work India, contrasting with control groups that receive no such training. Our aim is to assess whether this training enhances job awareness and aligns job preferences with actual opportunities, potentially improving employment outcomes for disadvantaged youth. This research offers valuable
insights into the impact of digital job search tools on the employment prospects of disadvantaged youth in developing countries, contributing to the broader discourse on scalable solutions for youth unemployment.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bhatiya, Apurav Yash et al. 2023. "Impact of Online Job Portals on Youth Unemployment: Experimental Evidence from India." AEA RCT Registry. December 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12653-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The treated batches receive hands-on training to use the Work India app, while the control batches receive no information about the app. The intervention is conducted two weeks before the end of the training. Candidates across all batches go through a baseline survey but only the treated batches are surprised with Work India training after the survey. The overall training took about one hour and was divided into theoretical and practical components across 5 stages: download, registration, application, change of location, and change of sector. At each stage, candidates receive instructions specific to that stage and between each stage, candidates are given enough time to use the mobile app and complete the tasks.
Intervention Start Date
2023-09-04
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The main outcomes are measured using baseline and follow-up survey data across the four dimensions of the training centre, mobile apps/internet, family/friends, and other sources.
1. Job awareness,
2. Job search, applications, interviews, offers, and transition.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
1. Job awareness: number of jobs that you are aware of that match your education, skills, and experience across the 4 mediums.
2. Job search, applications, interviews, offers, and transition: in the last two months, how many jobs did you search for, made applications, got an interview call, got a job offer and moved to that job across all 4 mediums.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes are measured in the follow-up survey. They will be used for interpretation:
1. Employed.
2. Why did you not search for jobs.
3. Preferences on occupation, location, and income.
4. Internet usage.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
1. Are you currently employed.
2. A multiple choice question with responses and free text repsonse.
3. personal preferences on occupation, location, and income.
4. how much internet do you use: many hours per day, a few hours per day, a few days a week, never.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
At the end of the baseline survey, which is administered to all candidates/batches, we surprise the treated batches with hands-on training to use the Work India app. The treated batches receive hands-on training to use the Work India app, while the control batches receive no information about the app.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
DDU-GKY training centre batch.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
20 batches
Sample size: planned number of observations
500 observations
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
10 treatment batches and 10 control batches. Approximately 25 candidates per batch.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
We consider a power of 80% and a significance level of 5%. For the outcome variable- job awareness through mobile apps/internet, we use the baseline survey data and find a base mean of 4.37, a standard deviation of 3.77, and an intra-cluster correlation of 0.10. The minimum detectable effect for job awareness is 1.77 with 10 clusters per group and 25 observations per cluster. For the outcome variable- job search through mobile apps/internet, we use the data from Chakravorty et al. (2023) and find a base mean of 0.331, a standard deviation of 0.471, and an intra-cluster correlation of 0.10. The minimum detectable effect for job search is 0.217 with 10 clusters per group and 25 observations per cluster.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Birmingham
IRB Approval Date
2023-08-02
IRB Approval Number
ERN_1426-Aug2023
IRB Name
IFMR at J-PAL South Asia
IRB Approval Date
2023-08-28
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information