Understanding Employer and Household Preferences and Needs: Evidence from Jordan

An information treatment, as an experimental randomized component of this survey, showcases success stories from the Jordanian private sector relating to female employment and gender-inclusive practices, or featuring export-readiness-related success stories. This allows us to assess the effect of that information treatment on the employers' responses. The objective is to provide evidence-based advice to employers regarding labor and export policies.

In addition, we survey job seekers to understand the benefits they are interested in when seeking employment.

2025-09-01

2030-09-01

For managers, interest to receive more information regarding what other companies are doing to improve female hiring or export readiness.(1) sign up for a newsletter, 2) report interest in adding a family-friendly benefit.

For job seekers, interest in receiving and sharing more information (a newsletter) on job opportunities and training programs and willingness to negotiate increased pay or job benefits (if employed) or interview or apply for a job (if unemployed) within the next 6 months. We will also see if treated participants would allocate a hypothetical additional income shock differently than untreated participants. Signing up spouse's email for the newsletter is an additional outcome. All outcomes will be analyzed for heterogeneous effects by gender, employment status, marital status, household income, and educational attainment.

For managers, interest to receive more information regarding what other companies are doing to improve female hiring or export readiness.(1) sign up for a newsletter, 2) report interest in adding a family-friendly benefit.

For job seekers, interest in receiving and sharing more information (a newsletter) on job opportunities and training programs and willingness to negotiate increased pay or job benefits (if employed) or interview or apply for a job (if unemployed) within the next 6 months. We will also see if treated participants would allocate a hypothetical additional income shock differently than untreated participants. Signing up spouse's email for the newsletter is an additional outcome for married participants. All outcomes will be analyzed for heterogeneous effects by gender, employment status, marital status, household income, and educational attainment.

Periodic follow up surveys will be matched to create a panel of changes in reported behaviors and beliefs (ex - for managers, beliefs about productivity of female workers, beliefs about manager colleagues beliefs about the importance of benefits to attract female workers, proactive behaviors when recruiting female job applicants, emails to researchers requesting more information).

For job seekers, we plan to follow up and ask about effort and outcomes on the job search (ex - are you employed? (if previously unemployed), did you negotiate pay/benefits? (if employed), if so, what additional pay/benefits have you received? and if married, any outcomes for spouses.

• Firm survey randomization is based on Qualtrics randomization setting (1/25 for information treatment, 1/25 for newsletter sign up, 1/25 for neither, 1/25 for both). For job seekers info treatment is randomized at 1/50 and everyone is asked for newsletter sign up and if married, spouse's sign up. Everyone is asked how likely they are to negotiate pay or job benefits at your current job (if employed) or if unemployed to look for or interview for a job.

The information treatment is provided towards the end of the survey. Treated groups will receive the information treatment and control groups will not.

Not available

• Randomization is automated in survey software based on our preprogrammed number of treatments.

individual survey respondent (representing a firm or employee/job seeker).

No

100-200 firms, 200 employees

200 firms, 200 employees

• Firm survey: 50 for information treatment, 50 for newsletter sign up, 50 for neither, 50 for both). For job seekers info treatment is randomized at 100 treatment, 100 control and everyone is asked for newsletter sign up and if married, spouse's sign up.