Evidence In Labor Market Policies and Implications for Brazil: Job Search Assistance

This publication, produced in collaboration between JOI Brazil, a J-PAL LAC initiative, and the Inter-American Development Bank, analyzes the available evidence on job search assistance programs and discusses their implications for public policy formulation in Brazil. Difficulties in communicating skills, lack of information about the job market, behavioral biases, and geographic and financial limitations may constitute some of the challenges faced by workers in the job search process. In response to these barriers, various solutions have been proposed to make the job search process more efficient, reducing the time required for searching and improving the quality of matches between candidates and companies. However, assessments show mixed results from these programs, which do not always translate into lasting improvements in employment and income. These mixed effects underscore the need to evaluate which characteristics have been associated with better outcomes, in order to inform the design and enhancement of future interventions.