|
Field
Abstract
|
Before
Sub-Saharan Africa faces high youth unemployment, with women disproportionately excluded from labor market opportunities due to mobility and social constraints. At the same time, global freelancing platforms offer opportunities to earn wages that far exceed those available in local markets. Yet, informational and reputational frictions—such as limited knowledge of effective bidding strategies, weak initial profiles, and lack of job search persistence—prevent many skilled workers from successfully entering these markets.
This study evaluates whether targeted training, mentoring, and data-driven guidance can reduce these frictions and improve labor market outcomes for young African professionals. We will conduct a randomized controlled trial with workers who meet baseline screening criteria. The treatment group will receive individualized mentoring from experienced African freelancers.
Outcomes will be measured using both platform administrative data and surveys, covering job search intensity, contract acquisition, and earnings. The study will also assess heterogeneous impacts by gender, informing both the economics of digital labor markets and the design of scalable interventions to expand global job access.
|
After
Sub-Saharan Africa faces high youth unemployment, with women disproportionately excluded from labor market opportunities due to mobility and social constraints. At the same time, global freelancing platforms offer opportunities to earn wages that far exceed those available in local markets. Yet, informational and reputational frictions—such as limited knowledge of effective bidding strategies, weak initial profiles, and lack of job search persistence—as well as liquidity constraints prevent many skilled workers from successfully entering these markets. This study evaluates whether reducing these frictions improves labor market outcomes for young African professionals in remote work.
We will conduct a randomized controlled trial with workers who meet baseline screening criteria. Participants will be assigned to treatment arms that vary two interventions; individualized mentoring from experienced African freelancers, and liquidity support.
Outcomes will be measured using both platform administrative data and surveys, covering job search intensity, contract acquisition, and earnings. The study will also assess heterogeneous impacts by gender, informing both the economics of digital labor markets and the design of scalable interventions to expand global job access.
|
|
Field
Last Published
|
Before
November 17, 2025 02:34 PM
|
After
July 08, 2026 07:05 PM
|
|
Field
Intervention (Public)
|
Before
We evaluate a program designed to help young African professionals succeed in global online labor markets. The intervention consists of two main components: (i) one-on-one mentoring by experienced African freelancers, and (ii) small financial incentives in the form of credits required to submit job applications. In addition, we provide data-driven guidance using internal analytics to inform job search and bidding strategies.
|
After
We evaluate a program designed to help young African professionals succeed in global online labor markets. The intervention consists of two main components: (i) one-on-one mentoring by experienced African freelancers, and (ii) small financial incentives in the form of credits required to submit job applications
|
|
Field
Intervention End Date
|
Before
September 30, 2026
|
After
March 31, 2027
|
|
Field
Primary Outcomes (End Points)
|
Before
Online labor (extensive margin): receives at least one online contract
Online labor activity: total number of online contracts received
Online labor earnings
|
After
Online labor (extensive margin): receives at least one online contract in the first 3 months
Online labor earnings in the first 3 months, winsorized at 99%.
|
|
Field
Experimental Design (Public)
|
Before
We recruit skilled young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on gender balance, to participate in a randomized controlled trial evaluating support for online freelancing. Eligible applicants are screened on basic readiness to engage on an online platform. Participants are then randomized at the individual level, stratified by gender and mentors, into treatment and control groups. The treatment group receives mentoring from experienced African freelancers, data-driven guidance on job search and bidding strategies, and small financial incentives to enable applying for online jobs.
|
After
We recruit skilled young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on gender balance, to participate in a randomized controlled trial evaluating support for online freelancing. Eligible applicants are screened on basic readiness to engage on an online platform. Participants are then randomized at the individual level, stratified by gender and mentors, into treatment and control groups.
The experiment features multiple treatment arms that vary two components in combination: (i) one-on-one mentoring by experienced African freelancers only; (ii) application credits only; and (iii) mentoring plus application credits
|
|
Field
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
|
Before
500 workers control, 500 workers treatment.
|
After
250 workers control, 250 workers mentoring, 250 workers liquidity support (application credits), 250 workers both mentoring and liquidity support
|
|
Field
Secondary Outcomes (End Points)
|
Before
|
After
Job search activity on the platform
Bid strategy
Total earnings
Client rating
Other online job platform usage
Job satisfaction index
More than 1 contract
Medium-term outcomes
|