8th KOF ETH Zurich and IDSC of IZA Workshop: Matching Workers and Jobs Online

Keynote Speakers

Nikolaj Harmon (University of Copenhagen)
Alan Mislove (Northeastern University)
Tatiana Mocanu (Columbia University and IZA)
David Neumark (UC Irvine and IZA)

About the Workshop

Online platforms and algorithms play a central role in matching workers with jobs. In this workshop we seek to improve our understanding of how these mechanisms work and how they affect economic outcomes like employment, wages and inequality. We also investigate how best to take advantage of the massive amounts of granular data that are generated by these platforms. Accordingly, we invite paper submissions on the following topics:

• The effectiveness of internet-based job search and recruiting methods, both relative to more traditional forms of job search and to each other.
• Descriptive studies of how workers and firms look for each other online: How do firms craft job ads? How do workers search for jobs over time? To what extent are recruiting and job search ‘batch’ or sequential processes? How effectively do job ads direct applications? What is the role of informal networks and referrals, both on- and off-line, in the labor search and matching process? What does all this descriptive information mean for theoretical models of labor market search and matching? What job seeker characteristics affect firms’ hiring decisions on online platforms? How do defaults and design choices of platforms affect hiring and job search?
• Experimental and other studies of online search with the potential to improve the efficiency or fairness of online matching. Examples include improving job and worker categorizations, better algorithmic recommendations, certification of worker qualifications, online reviews of employers and workers, and increasing the information content of postings (for example adding information on the number of competing applicants).
• Using data derived from online labor market matching processes to study key research questions in labor economics, including minimum wages, labor market dynamics, discrimination, the effects of unemployment insurance, trends in the types of skills demanded, and monopsonistic competition.
• The potential for data from online labor market matching process to supplement existing publicly-available data on labor market trends and conditions. Examples include measuring and forecasting local, national and occupation-level unemployment and vacancy rates, forecasting labor market shortages and ‘bottlenecks’, and informing educational and training institutions about emerging skill needs.
• Other topics related to the online matching of workers and firms, including theoretical contributions such as optimal platform design and defining algorithmic fairness.

Please find more information in last year's programs: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

Submission

Please submit extended abstracts by April 15, 2025 using the online application form. Notifications will be sent by May 15, 2025.

Travel and Accommodation

Those authors who are invited are expected to participate in the entire workshop. Two nights' accommodation will be provided to all accepted papers. Conditional on future funding outcomes, a third night may be available for presenters from outside Europe. Economy class travel according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute Reimbursement Guidelines.

Kindly note that tax regulations prohibit KOF Swiss Economic Institute from fully reimbursing the travel expenses of conference participants who combine their trip with other destinations or extend their stay beyond the four-day window surrounding the event.

Please contact Corinne Schibli-Lozano (schibli-lozano@kof.ethz.ch) for all questions on local arrangements.

Participation

To ensure a respectful and inclusive environment, we expect all participants to adhere to the Code of Conduct for IZA Events.

If you are interested in the workshop feel free to sign up to participate. You are welcome to share this call for papers with other interested researchers.