Global Freelancing Platforms, Signaling and Labor Market Outcomes

Last registered on August 27, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Global Freelancing Platforms, Signaling and Labor Market Outcomes
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015644
Initial registration date
March 27, 2025

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
April 03, 2025, 11:11 AM EDT

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

Last updated
August 27, 2025, 3:11 AM EDT

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

Locations

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

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Nikita Sangwan
Affiliation
Queens University Belfast
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Wifag Adnan
PI Affiliation
NYUAD
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Yasmine Abdelfattah
PI Affiliation
University of Prince Edward Island, Cairo Campus
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-04-07
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Digital Platforms, Employment Networks
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study evaluates the impact of expanding search opportunities on the labor market outcomes and digital platform engagement of young men and women. Utilizing a randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants are randomly assigned to treatment groups. The primary objectives are to measure changes in employment status, on and off the platform, and to assess the effectiveness of the treatment in enhancing assertiveness in platform engagement. Preliminary findings will provide insights into the role of digital platforms in influencing employment outcomes and platform engagements in emerging markets.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Abdelfattah, Yasmine, Wifag Adnan and Nikita Sangwan. 2025. "Global Freelancing Platforms, Signaling and Labor Market Outcomes." AEA RCT Registry. August 27. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15644-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-05-16
Intervention End Date
2025-06-14

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
We have two sets of primary outcome variables - (1) employment outcomes (whether employed, type of employment, days employed, job offers received, and monthly earnings), both on and off the platform, and (2) user engagement on the Freelancer platform (registration on the platform, number of bids placed, number of bids won, value of bids won and employer ratings of the workers). We will also capture the changes in mental health indicators to better understand whether there are tradeoffs associated with higher engagement on the platform (e.g. more loneliness, not having co-workers/mentors, stress).
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
We will also explore a number of subsidiary outcomes to understand the underlying mechanisms.

This would include changes in job search intensity, changes in purchases, and investments in upskilling of the respondents to make better use of the Freelancing platform. To detect whether a change in reservation prestige (i.e. changes in attitudes about what is prestigious work) is a potential channel for changes in activity on the platform, we can compare the reservation wages in the three main sectors (public/formal/informal sectors) at the baseline with those from the endline survey. If there is a decline in the reservation prestige associated with (in-person) formal and public sector jobs, then we expect the reservation wages to increase for those jobs.

We also aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the mentoring treatment and mentor characteristics (e.g. success rate, earnings accumulated on the platform) in influencing various dimensions of labor market engagement on Freelancer. These dimensions include bid submissions, price quotes, final wage offer agreed upon after negotiation, and employer ratings.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study evaluates the impact of expanding search opportunities on the labor market outcomes and digital platform engagement of young men and women. Utilizing a randomized controlled trial (RCT), participants are randomly assigned to treatment groups. The primary objectives are to measure changes in employment status, on and off the platform, and to assess the effectiveness of the treatment in enhancing assertiveness in platform engagement. Preliminary findings will provide insights into the role of digital platforms in influencing employment outcomes and platform engagements in emerging markets.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomisation at locality level by a computer
Randomization Unit
Randomisation at locality level by a computer
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
138 localities
Sample size: planned number of observations
2300 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
48 localities control, 45 localities Treatment 1 and 45 localities Treatment 2
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan