Toward Labor Market Policy 2.0: The Potential for Using Online Job-Portal Big Data to Inform Labor Market Policies in India

36 Pages Posted: 27 Feb 2017 Last revised: 27 Apr 2018

See all articles by Shinsaku Nomura

Shinsaku Nomura

World Bank

Saori Imaizumi

World Bank

Ana Carolina Areias

World Bank

Futoshi Yamauchi

A member of the CGIAR Consortium - International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Date Written: February 9, 2017

Abstract

Economists and other social scientists are increasingly using big data analytics to address longstanding economic questions and complement existing information sources. Big data produced by online platforms can yield a wealth of diverse, highly granular, multidimensional information with a variety of potential applications. This paper examines how online job-portal data can be used as a basis for policy-relevant research in the fields of labor economics and workforce skills development, through an empirical analysis of information generated by Babajob, an online Indian job portal. The analysis highlights five key areas where online job-portal data can contribute to the development of labor market policies and analytical knowledge: (i) labor market monitoring and analysis; (ii) assessing demand for workforce skills; (iii) observing job-search behavior and improving skills matching; (iv) predictive analysis of skills demand; and (v) experimental studies. The unique nature of the data produced by online job-search portals allows for the application of diverse analytical methodologies, including descriptive data analysis, time-series analysis, text analysis, predictive analysis, and transactional data analysis. This paper is intended to contribute to the academic literature and the development of public policies. It contributes to the literature on labor economics through application of big data analytics to real-world data. The analysis also provides a unique case study on labor market data analytics in a developing-country context in South Asia. Finally, the report examines the potential for using big data to improve the design and implementation of labor market policies and promote demand-driven skills development.

Keywords: Labor Markets, Rural Labor Markets, ICT Applications, Educational Sciences

Suggested Citation

Nomura, Shinsaku and Imaizumi, Saori and Areias, Ana Carolina and Yamauchi, Futoshi, Toward Labor Market Policy 2.0: The Potential for Using Online Job-Portal Big Data to Inform Labor Market Policies in India (February 9, 2017). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 7966, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2923517

Shinsaku Nomura (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Saori Imaizumi

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Ana Carolina Areias

World Bank

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Futoshi Yamauchi

A member of the CGIAR Consortium - International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

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

Paper statistics

Downloads
365
Abstract Views
1,266
Rank
149,786
PlumX Metrics