Skills Mismatch: Sources and Consequences

Last registered on December 05, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Skills Mismatch: Sources and Consequences
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013932
Initial registration date
July 03, 2024

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
July 08, 2024, 1:13 PM EDT

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

Last updated
December 05, 2025, 7:25 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Thailand
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Suphanit Piyapromdee
Affiliation
University College London
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Suphanit Piyapromdee
PI Affiliation
University College London
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Weerachart Kilenthong
PI Affiliation
Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
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PI Name
Ilse Lindenlaub
PI Affiliation
Yale University
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PI Name
Warn N. Lekfuangfu
PI Affiliation
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-07-18
End date
2029-08-31
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
Skills, Mismatch, Beliefs, Growth Mindset, Occupational Choices
JEL code(s)
J24, J62, J64
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Skills mismatch, defined by the discrepancy between workers’ skills and job skill requirements, can have negative effects on workers’ income and career progression. Past research has studied its causes separately which include (i) workers not having complete information about their own skill levels and labour markets, and (ii) lacking confidence or adherence to social norms. For example, female workers may perceive that a programmer is not a suitable job for women.

The project will study the role of these factors and their interactions on skills mismatch using a randomised controlled trial (RCT). The RCT involves giving participants who are final-year college students in Thailand different treatments. The two main treatments are as follows: providing information on individual ability and labour markets; and promoting growth mindset in a job search process context. The project will collect panel data on actual labour market outcomes, subjective beliefs and individual characteristics then analyse mechanisms and consequences of skills mismatch.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Piyapromdee, Suphanit et al. 2025. "Skills Mismatch: Sources and Consequences." AEA RCT Registry. December 05. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13932-3.1
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The project will use a randomised controlled trial (RCT) approach. The RCT involves giving participants who are final-year college students in Thailand different treatments. The two main treatments are as follows:

1. Providing skill and labour market information: the intervention will evaluate skill levels using standardised tests of maths, language (thai) and noncognitive skills. Each participant will receive their test results. In addition, they will receive personalised information on the returns and skill requirements of occupations they are interested.

2. Promoting Growth Mindset: the intervention will involve participants taking an online course showing role models and other trainings that promotes growth mindset in a job search context. Participants will receive the same video.

Treatments are randomized at the individual level. This experiment has 4 experimental groups: 3 treatment groups for treatment 1, treatment 2 and the interaction and the control group.

We target fourth-year (final-year) college students in general majors such as arts and humanities. The intervention will take place before students entering the labour markets. We will then follow these individuals over the course of four yeas.
Intervention Start Date
2025-03-03
Intervention End Date
2029-08-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Types of jobs applied; Job search behaviours; Perception on job prospects; Employment status; Earnings; Perception on own abilities
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The target population are fourth-year (final-year) undergraduate students in universities in Thailand. The sample includes students in fields that are not considered specialized in terms of occupations, such as humanities, economics, business administration, science, and engineering. We exclude specialised majors such as medicine and dentistry. Approximately, the number of students taking part in the first survey is 5,500 people.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomisation is done by a computer after the invited participants have agreed (and have seen the information sheet and the consent form) to take part in the baseline survey in the first meeting.
Randomization Unit
The randomisation is done at the individual level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
There is no cluster.
Sample size: planned number of observations
5,500 students in the baseline.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1,375 students in the baseline.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Given that the randomization unit for this experiment is at the individual level, Assuming a 5% significance level, and power of 0.8, the size of the required sample in each experimental group is approximately 400 people per treatment arm. We anticipate that there will be approximately 20 percent of the sample attrition annually. Therefore, the size of sample students in the first survey should be approximately 5,500 people so that in the final year (the next 5 years) there will still be at least 1,600 people in the final round.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
the UCL Humanities, Arts, and Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HAS REC)
IRB Approval Date
2024-06-24
IRB Approval Number
16083.004
IRB Name
Human Research Ethic Committee, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
IRB Approval Date
2024-02-19
IRB Approval Number
UTCCEC/Expedited005/2025
Analysis Plan