Factors Determining Callbacks to Job Applications by the Unemployed: An Audit Study

48 Pages Posted: 2 Nov 2015

See all articles by Henry S. Farber

Henry S. Farber

Princeton University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Dan Silverman

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Economics Department; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Till von Wachter

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Abstract

We use an audit study approach to investigate how unemployment duration, age, and holding a low-level "interim" job affect the likelihood that experienced college- educated females applying for an administrative support job receive a callback from a potential employer. First, the results show no relationship between callback rates and the duration of unemployment. Second, workers age 50 and older are significantly less likely to receive a callback. Third, taking an interim job significantly reduces the likelihood of receiving a callback. Finally, employers who have higher callback rates respond less to observable differences across workers in determining whom to call back. We interpret these results in the context of a model of employer learning about applicant quality.

Keywords: audit study, unemployment duration, interim job, age discrimination

JEL Classification: J64

Suggested Citation

Farber, Henry S. and Silverman, Dan and von Wachter, Till, Factors Determining Callbacks to Job Applications by the Unemployed: An Audit Study. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9465, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2684295 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2684295

Henry S. Farber (Contact Author)

Princeton University ( email )

Industrial Relations Section
Firestone Library
Princeton, NJ 08544
United States
609-258-4044 (Phone)
609-258-2907 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Dan Silverman

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Economics Department ( email )

701 Tappan Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States
734-764-2447 (Phone)
734-764-2769 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.lsa.umich.edu/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Till Von Wachter

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Economics ( email )

420 West 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
42
Abstract Views
759
PlumX Metrics