@article{7910dae5dd1d4506908d5d7a1d14a21f,
title = "What do jobseekers want? Comparing methods to estimate reservation wages and the value of job attributes",
abstract = "Understanding jobseeker preferences – including their reservation wages and how much they value different non-wage amenities – is difficult because they are not directly observable. We test four different methods for estimating these preference parameters using an experiment in a job-matching center. We find large and important differences between the methods. Using a follow up survey for validation, and comparing the consistency of estimates with prior literature, we find that Discrete Choice Experiments perform best. We show how these methods can improve our understanding of labor market frictions and help policymakers and employers develop targeted policies and compensation bundles to address inequities in the labor market.",
keywords = "Gender, Job attributes, Measurement, Randomized experiment, Reservation wages",
author = "Brian Feld and Nagy, {Abdel Rahman} and Adam Osman",
note = "The authors would like to thank Rahma Ali, Norhan Muhab and Eslam Serrag for research assistance. Thanks also to the staff at the National Employment Pact including Rasha Badran, Muhammad Ezzat and Eman Mohammed for excellent implementation support, and many thanks to the participants in our study. We benefited from helpful comments from 3 referees and the editor, Alex Bartik, Andrew Garin, Kareem Haggag and Jamin Speer as well as participants at the ERF 26th Conference and Innovation for Poverty Action's Methods & Measurement Conference. UIUC IRB approval #18671, AEA Registry # 9957. This project was possible thanks to funding from The University of Illinois{\textquoteright} RIFDC. Authors retained full intellectual freedom throughout the entirety of the project, all errors are our own. The authors would like to thank Rahma Ali, Norhan Muhab and Eslam Serrag for research assistance. Thanks also to the staff at the National Employment Pact including Rasha Badran, Muhammad Ezzat and Eman Mohammed for excellent implementation support, and many thanks to the participants in our study. We benefited from helpful comments from 3 referees and the editor, Alex Bartik, Andrew Garin, Kareem Haggag and Jamin Speer as well as participants at the ERF 26th Conference and Innovation for Poverty Action{\textquoteright}s Methods & Measurement Conference. UIUC IRB approval #18671, AEA Registry # 9957. This project was possible thanks to funding from The University of Illinois{\textquoteright} RIFDC . Authors retained full intellectual freedom throughout the entirety of the project, all errors are our own.",
year = "2022",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102978",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "159",
journal = "Journal of Development Economics",
issn = "0304-3878",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
}