What Do Jobseekers Want? Comparing Methods to Estimate Reservation Wages and the Value of Job Attributes

Last registered on August 25, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
What Do Jobseekers Want? Comparing Methods to Estimate Reservation Wages and the Value of Job Attributes
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0009957
Initial registration date
August 19, 2022

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
August 25, 2022, 2:56 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Egypt
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Adam Osman
Affiliation
University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Brian Feld
PI Affiliation
University of South Carolina
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2018-08-01
End date
2020-12-31
Keywords
Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
Reservation Wages, Job Attributes, Discrete Choice Experiment
JEL code(s)
J3, O15
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Understanding jobseeker preferences---including their reservation wages and how much they value different non-wage amenities---is difficult because they are not directly observable. We test four different methods for estimating these preference parameters using an experiment in a job-matching center. We find large and important differences between the methods. We also estimate jobseekers' valuations of several job attributes, and explore how those valuations differ by gender. Using a follow up survey for validation and comparing the consistency of estimates with prior literature we find that Discrete Choice Experiments perform best. We show how these methods can improve our understanding of labor market frictions and help policymakers and employers develop targeted policies and compensation bundles to address inequities in the labor market.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Feld, Brian and Adam Osman. 2022. "What Do Jobseekers Want? Comparing Methods to Estimate Reservation Wages and the Value of Job Attributes." AEA RCT Registry. August 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.9957-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention was a randomized survey. We collected data about job seekers' preferences in collaboration with the National Employment Pact (NEP), an NGO based in Cairo that provides job matching services. We randomized respondents into three different groups. The first group was shown ``open ended'' questions, the second group was given ``payment card'' questions, and the third group got a set of ``double-bound dichotomous choice'' questions. Afterwards, all 3 groups were then asked to go through the discrete choice experiment.
Intervention Start Date
2018-08-08
Intervention End Date
2019-04-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Reported Valuation of Hypothetical Job options
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We randomized respondents into three different groups. The first group was shown ``open ended'' questions, the second group was given ``payment card'' questions, and the third group got a set of ``double-bound dichotomous choice'' questions. Afterwards, all 3 groups were then asked to go through the discrete choice experiment. This was randomized at the individual level on the spot using SurveyCTO.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done on tablet by SurveyCTO.
Randomization Unit
Job seeker (individual) level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1996 Job seekers
Sample size: planned number of observations
1996 Job seekers
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
660 open ended, 672 payment card, 662 double bound
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Illinois
IRB Approval Date
2018-04-24
IRB Approval Number
18671
Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials