How can tools that help job seekers better certify and signal their skills improve employment and earnings?

Globally, roughly 188 million people were unemployed in 2023, yet 75 percent of employers reported difficulties filling vacancies in a 2023 survey. Job seekers may find it difficult to showcase their skills and employers may find those skills difficult to assess. Qualified applicants could thus remain unemployed or firms might hire the wrong worker, which can be costly. 

In this one-hour virtual webinar, Stefano Caria (University of Warwick) and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)’s Labor Markets sector discuss the findings from their recent policy brief on improving job seekers’ employment and earnings through credible skills signals. The brief reviews evidence from 14 randomized evaluations across 10 countries and finds that credible skills signals help alleviate information barriers for both job seekers and firms, and often improve employment and earnings at a low cost. More and better information enables applicants to have a more effective job search, often resulting in higher-quality jobs and better employment matches for businesses. The panelists will also highlight where further research is needed, such as whether some job seekers lose out when their peers use these skills signals.

OBJECTIVES:
- Increase knowledge of the evidence on how skills signaling improves job market outcomes.
- Share cost-effective tools to help job seekers and firms make better employment matches.
- Highlight strategies to improve equity in hiring, especially for women and youth.

WHO CAN ATTEND: 
The webinar is open to the public including partners of Decent Jobs for Youth and Generation Unlimited. This webinar may be particularly relevant for governments, NGOs, and philanthropic organisations, especially those located in sub-Saharan Africa, working on skills, job matching, or other employment programs. 

DETAILS:
- Date: 12 December 2024
- Time: 8am EST | 2pm Geneva
- Duration: 1 hour
- Where: Online via Zoom
- Registration: bit.ly/3ZqCKQz


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SPEAKERS:


Stefano Caria
Professor, University of Warwick
Keynote Speaker

Stefano Caria is a Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. He uses experimental and structural methods to investigate how to make labor markets work better for the poor. In recent work, Stefano evaluates a number of interventions designed to help different populations (including young Ethiopians and Syrian refugees) search for employment and to understand the causes and consequences of labor turnover. Stefano received his PhD in economics from the University of Oxford. In addition to serving as Co-Chair of J-PAL's Labor Markets Sector, Stefano has served on the review board of J-PAL's Jobs and Opportunity Initiative and Social Protection Initiative, as well as  J-PAL North America's Health Care Delivery Initiative.

Natalie Valent
Senior Policy Associate, J-PAL
Speaker

Natalie Valent is a Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL Global, where she works on the Labor Markets sector. In this role, she manages the Jobs and Opportunity Initiative, writes policy publications, and promotes evidence-informed policymaking. Prior to joining J-PAL, Natalie worked as a researcher at an environmental nonprofit where she worked on climate finance initiatives. Natalie holds a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, where she graduated with a distinguished Master’s Project and the program’s Citizenship Award. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon.



Susana Puerto Gonzales
Senior Youth Employment Specialist,
EMPLAB, ILO
Moderator


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