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Unemployment and willingness to accept job offers: results of a factorial survey experiment
[Arbeitslosigkeit und Stellenannahmebereitschaft: Erste Ergebnisse eines Faktoriellen Survey Moduls]

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Abraham

    (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)

  • Katrin Auspurg

    (University of Konstanz)

  • Sebastian Bähr

    (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)

  • Corinna Frodermann

    (University of Konstanz)

  • Stefanie Gundert

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB))

  • Thomas Hinz

    (University of Konstanz)

Abstract

Matching individuals to jobs is a fundamental problem in any labour market. This paper focuses on job characteristics, such as wages, job quality, and distance from the current place of residence, and the impact of these characteristics on the willingness of employed and unemployed individuals to accept new job offers. Using an experimental factorial survey module (FSM) implemented in the fifth wave of a large population survey (Panel Study Labour Market and Social Security), the willingness of employed and unemployed labour market participants to accept new job offers was compared while considering job characteristics like gain of income or commuting distance. In this study, unemployed and employed individuals received the same set of hypothetical job offers. Consistent with theoretical arguments, the about 20,000 evaluations provided by about 4,000 respondents showed that unemployed participants generally exhibit a greater willingness to accept new job offers than employed ones. Moreover, unemployed individuals were likely to make more concessions than employed individuals with respect to job quality, such as accepting fixed-term job offers. Interestingly, little evidence for different decision-making or weightings of mobility costs was found, which enables us to conclude that interregional unemployment disparities can scarcely be explained by unemployed individuals lacking the willingness to work or relocate.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Abraham & Katrin Auspurg & Sebastian Bähr & Corinna Frodermann & Stefanie Gundert & Thomas Hinz, 2013. "Unemployment and willingness to accept job offers: results of a factorial survey experiment [Arbeitslosigkeit und Stellenannahmebereitschaft: Erste Ergebnisse eines Faktoriellen Survey Moduls]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 46(4), pages 283-305, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabrs:v:46:y:2013:i:4:d:10.1007_s12651-013-0142-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12651-013-0142-1
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    1. Drasch, Katrin & Abraham, Martin, 2019. "Compensating wage differentials and the labor market re-entry of mothers: Evidence from a factorial survey," SocArXiv vap6x, Center for Open Science.
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    3. Philippe Sterkens & Stijn Baert & Eline Moens & Joey Wuyts & Eva Derous, 2024. "I won’t make the same mistake again: burnout history and job preferences," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Jeff Luckstead & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Heather A. Snell, 2023. "US domestic workers' willingness to accept agricultural field jobs," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(3), pages 1693-1715, September.
    5. Shi, Lulu P. & Imdorf, Christian & Samuel, Robin & Sacchi, Stefan, 2018. "How unemployment scarring affects skilled young workers : Evidence from a factorial survey of Swiss recruiters," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 52(1), pages 1-7.
    6. Viergutz, Tim & Schulze-Ehlers, Birgit, 2018. "Member Commitment and Switching Decisions in Dairy Cooperatives – A Factorial Survey," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276864, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    7. Martin Kroczek & Philipp Kugler, 2022. "Heterogeneous Effects of Monetary and Non-Monetary Job Characteristics on Job Attractiveness in Nursing," IAW Discussion Papers 139, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).
    8. Kroczek, Martin & Kugler, Philipp, 2022. "Heterogeneous Effects of Monetary and Non-Monetary Job Characteristics on Job Attractiveness in Nursing," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264108, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    9. Bähr, Holger & Kirchmann, Andrea & Schafstädt, Christin & Sippli, Khira & Späth, Jochen & Boockmann, Bernhard, 2019. "Bedarfsgemeinschaften und ihre Mitglieder in der Beratungs- und Vermittlungsarbeit der Jobcenter," IAB-Forschungsbericht 201906, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    10. Lulu P. Shi & Christian Imdorf & Robin Samuel & Stefan Sacchi, 2018. "How unemployment scarring affects skilled young workers: evidence from a factorial survey of Swiss recruiters," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 52(1), pages 1-15, December.
    11. Martin Kroczek & Jochen Späth, 2022. "The attractiveness of jobs in the German care sector: results of a factorial survey," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 23(9), pages 1547-1562, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labour supply; Job offer acceptance; Factorial survey; Interregional mobility; Unemployment; Social inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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