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Abstract
Digital technologies are fundamentally transforming the way job seekers search for employment and how Public Employment Services (PES) can assist them in this process. This paper shows that leveraging digital tools to aid job seekers presents significant challenges. Specifically, it reveals that there are distinct “types” in job search effort such that some job seekers are more inclined to seek assistance and, when they do, are more responsive to it. The paper provides causal evidence by exploiting an encouragement from PES caseworkers to utilize an Online Job Platform (OJP) and simulates a job search model that aligns with these findings. Additionally, it demonstrates that types can be predicted based on the personal characteristics of job seekers and documents the presence of negative duration dependence in job search effort across all types.
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