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Path2Work: An Online Platform for Refugee Job Matching

Last registered on October 03, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Path2Work: An Online Platform for Refugee Job Matching
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016903
Initial registration date
September 29, 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
October 03, 2025, 10:22 AM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Achim Ahrens
Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Mirjam Bächli
PI Affiliation
University of Lausanne
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PI Name
Philip Grech
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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PI Name
Dominik Hangartner
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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PI Name
Rafael Lalive
PI Affiliation
University of Lausanne
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-03-24
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Labor
Additional Keywords
refugees, job search assistance, occupational recommendations
JEL code(s)
J62, J23, J68, D83, C93, J15
Secondary IDs
https://osf.io/xsrpf
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This pre-analysis plan describes a randomized invitation experiment that we will field on the online job platform Path2Work, targeting refugees in Switzerland. The platform is specifically designed for this study. The experiments aim to better understand the hurdles refugees face in finding employment and to gauge the potential of digital platforms to facilitate refugee employment. The experiment evaluates the overall efficacy of the platform, which offers, among others, access to a large database of vacancies, skill-based occupation recommendations, and application guidance, in increasing refugees' employment chances.
External Link(s)
OSF registration

Registration Citation

Citation
Ahrens, Achim et al. 2025. "Path2Work: An Online Platform for Refugee Job Matching." AEA RCT Registry. October 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16903-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-03-24
Intervention End Date
2027-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Labor market outcomes of refugees (employment, job search duration)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This pre-analysis plan describes an invitation experiment that we will field on the online job platform Path2Work, targeting refugees in Switzerland. We employ a staggered design where we send invitation letters in four waves to around 70,000 refugees. Refugees are randomly allocated across the four waves (clustered by their address), and we vary the treatment intensity by labor market area to test for crowding-out effects. The invitation letter is required to register on the platform. Our estimation strategy compares treated (who have received an invitation letter) with not-yet-treated refugees (who will receive the invitation at a later date).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization by computer
Randomization Unit
Treatment is jointly assigned within households (address), and we vary treatment intensity by labor market areas.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
101 Labor market areas, approx 70000 refugees
Sample size: planned number of observations
Around 70000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Around 17500
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
See full PAP
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
ETH Zurich
IRB Approval Date
2025-01-23
IRB Approval Number
ETHICS-419
IRB Name
University of Lausanne
IRB Approval Date
2025-03-03
IRB Approval Number
HEC-67af24063bf65
Analysis Plan

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