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Whom Do Employers Want? The Role of Recent Employment and Unemployment Status and Age

Author

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  • Henry S. Farber
  • Chris M. Herbst
  • Dan Silverman
  • Till von Wachter

Abstract

We use a résumé audit study to investigate the role of employment and unemployment histories in callbacks to job applications. We find that applicants with 52 weeks of unemployment have a lower callback rate than those with shorter spells. There is no relationship, however, between spell length and callback among applicants with spells of 24 weeks or less. We also find that both younger and older applicants have a lower callback probability than prime-aged applicants. Finally, we find that applicants who are employed at the time of application have a lower callback rate than do unemployed applicants.

Suggested Citation

  • Henry S. Farber & Chris M. Herbst & Dan Silverman & Till von Wachter, 2019. "Whom Do Employers Want? The Role of Recent Employment and Unemployment Status and Age," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(2), pages 323-349.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/700184
    DOI: 10.1086/700184
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ian Burn & Patrick Button & Luis Felipe Munguia Corella & David Neumark, 2019. "Older Workers Need Not Apply? Ageist Language in Job Ads and Age Discrimination in Hiring," NBER Working Papers 26552, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Thomas Le Barbanchon & Johannes F. Schmieder & Andrea Weber, 2024. "Job Search, Unemployment Insurance, and Active Labor Market Policies," NBER Working Papers 32720, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Arne F. Lyshol & Plamen T. Nenov & Thea Wevelstad, 2021. "Duration Dependence and Labor Market Experience," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 35(1), pages 105-134, March.
    4. Adermon, Adrian & Hensvik, Lena, 2022. "Gig-jobs: Stepping stones or dead ends?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. Joanne Song McLaughlin, 2020. "Falling Between the Cracks: Discrimination Laws and Older Women," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 34(2), pages 215-238, June.
    6. Cahuc, Pierre & Hervelin, Jérémy, 2024. "The effect of workplace vs school-based vocational education on youth unemployment: Evidence from France," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    7. Goensch, Johannes & Gulyas, Andreas & Kospentaris, Ioannis, 2024. "Worker mobility and UI extensions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    8. Monique Morrissey & Siavash Radpour & Barbara Schuster, 2023. "Older Workers and Retirement Security: a Review," SCEPA working paper series. 2023-01, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA), The New School.
    9. Sara Ayllón & Javier Valbuena & Alexander Plum, 2022. "Youth Unemployment and Stigmatization Over the Business Cycle in Europe," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 84(1), pages 103-129, February.
    10. Barham, Tania & Cadena, Brian C. & Turner, Patrick S, 2023. "Taking a Chance on Workers: Evidence on the Effects and Mechanisms of Subsidized Employment from an RCT," IZA Discussion Papers 16221, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Oana IACOB PARGARU & Irina Elena PETRESCU & Radu Alexandru CHIOTAN & Ovidiu Andrei Cristian BUZOIANU & Otilia GANEA, 2023. "Unemployment In Romania In The Period 2010-2022," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(1), pages 678-683, November.
    12. Jérémy Hervelin & Pierre Villedieu, 2022. "The Benefits of Early Work Experience for School Dropouts: Evidence from a Field Experiment," THEMA Working Papers 2022-07, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    13. Leckcivilize, Attakrit & Straub, Alexander, 2020. "Your wingman could help you land a job: How beauty composition of applicants affects the call-back probability," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    14. Cristina Pardo-Garcia & Maja Barac, 2020. "Promoting Employability in Higher Education: A Case Study on Boosting Entrepreneurship Skills," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, May.

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