This paper examines how individuals select into job search in terms of their individual qualifications and perceptions and measures how recruiting additional applicants with a modest job-search subsidy affects selection. I use experimental evidence to examine individuals’ decisions to attend and participate in a job fair. Thirteen percent of invited but unsubsidized respondents attend the job fair, and they are positively selected from the overall distribution of respondents. While the subsidy attracts those who are less qualified and less confident in their ability to find work abroad, the least qualified do not search intensively. Although the subsidy does not lead to any additional offers, it induces individuals with a high degree of uncertainty about their likelihood of job-finding to apply with recruitment agencies. These results demonstrate the importance of imperfect information about the returns to search and highlight how reducing search costs can increase search effort among those most uncertain about their prospects.

本文研究了个人如何根据其个人资历和看法进行选择，并衡量了在获得适度求职补贴的情况下招聘其他应聘者如何影响选择。我使用实验证据来检查个人参加和参加招聘会的决定。百分之十三的受邀但无补贴的受访者参加了招聘会，他们是从受访者的整体分布中积极选出的。补贴吸引了那些素质较低，对在国外找到工作的能力缺乏信心的人，而素质最低的人则不会进行密集的搜索。尽管该补贴不会带来任何额外的优惠，但它会诱使对自己找工作的可能性有高度不确定性的个人向招聘机构申请。