This paper relates an individual’s social capital and the length of unemployment spells of the very same individual. For this purpose, we analyze several facets of an agent’s social activities as determinants of her social capital. Social activities lead to social interactions within...

This paper studies the effectiveness of vacancy information from the public employment services (PES) in Germany, focussing on vacancy information obtained early in the unemployment spell. As in many other countries, the German activation practice combines information provision with monitoring...

We present findings from an at-scale randomized trial of a government program providing public employment services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with up-to-date vacancy information. Before the program, women with relatively less education searched more narrowly with worse labor market outcomes than...

This Guidance Note was developed to support Public Employment Services in navigating complex decisions involved in digitalizing employment services. As the role of PES evolves with the need to balance expanded mandates with limited resources, digitalization presents an opportunity to strengthen...

Economic growth and job creation remain key challenges for Jordan, where the economy has only grown by an annual average of 2.5 percent over the past decade. Unemployment is persistently high (22.3 percent in 2023), particularly for youth (46.1 percent). Women, too, face significant structural...

A greener economy will require the development of new skillsets as well as support for workers, jobseekers and employers to manage job-to job transitions. Thus, most importantly, the green transition is expected to have a major impact on changing skills requirements. This Toolkit supports Public...

Searching for jobs is challenging, and online platforms now often offer tailored job recommendations. In a randomized controlled trial with over 1,250 participants, we evaluate recommendations based on prior experience or based on skill profiles assessed at study enrolment. We find that, on...

This paper presents an overview of the key themes discussed in the 2024 PES Network Stakeholder Conference on 'Rethinking support for those furthest from the labour market'. The conference showcased new and effective approaches for (re-)integrating jobseekers furthest from the labour market,...