{"type":"script","doc_desc":{"producers":[{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","abbr":"DECDI","affiliation":"World Bank - Development Impact Department","role":"Verification and preparation of metadata"}],"prod_date":"2026-07-23","version":"1"},"project_desc":{"authoring_entity":[{"name":"Kate Vyborny","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"kvyborny@worldbank.org"},{"name":"Erica Field","affiliation":"Duke University","email":"field.erica@duke.edu"},{"name":"Robert Garlick","affiliation":"Duke University","email":"robert.garlick@duke.edu"},{"name":"Nivedhitha Subramanian","affiliation":"Bates College","email":"niv.subramanian@gmail.com"}],"title_statement":{"title":"Reproducibility package for Why Don\u2019t Jobseekers Search More? Barriers And Returns To Search On A Job Matching Platform","idno":"RR_PAK_2026_662"},"data_statement":"All data sources are publicly available but not all are included in the reproducibility package.","software":[{"name":"Stata","version":"19.5 MP"}],"scripts":[{"title":"Reproducibility package for Why Don\u2019t Jobseekers Search More? Barriers And Returns To Search On A Job Matching Platform","date":"2026-07","notes":"Computational reproducibility verified by Development Impact (DECDI) Analytics team, World Bank.","instructions":"See README in reproducibility package.","file_name":"RR_PAK_2026_662","zip_package":"RR_PAK_2026_662.zip","dependencies":"Stata dependencies are listed in the ado folder."}],"repository_uri":[{"name":"Reproducible Research Repository (World Bank)","uri":"https:\/\/reproducibility.worldbank.org"}],"production_date":"2026-07-23","abstract":"Understanding specific barriers to job search and returns to relaxing these barriers is important for economists and policymakers. An experiment that changes the default process for initiating job applications increases applications by 600% on a search platform in Pakistan. Perhaps surprisingly, the marginal treatment-induced applications have approximately constant rather than decreasing returns. These results are consistent with a directed search model in which some jobseekers miss some high-return vacancies due to psychological costs of initiating applications. These findings show that small reductions in search costs can substantially improve search outcomes in environments with some relatively inactive jobseekers","geographic_units":[{"name":"Pakistan","code":"PAK"}],"output":[{"type":"Working Paper","description":"Policy Research Working Papers (PRWP)","title":"Why Don\u2019t Jobseekers Search More? Barriers And Returns To Search On A Job Matching Platform"}],"language":[{"name":"English","code":"EN"}],"technology_requirements":"Runtime: ~5.5 hours.","disclaimer":"The materials in the reproducibility packages are distributed as they were prepared by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development\/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this event do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank, the Executive Directors of the World Bank, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the materials included in the reproducibility package.","license":[{"name":"MIT License","uri":"https:\/\/opensource.org\/license\/mit"},{"name":"World Bank IGO Rider","uri":"https:\/\/github.com\/worldbank\/metadata-editor\/blob\/main\/WB-IGO-RIDER.md"}],"contacts":[{"name":"Kate Vyborny","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"kvyborny@worldbank.org"},{"name":"Reproducibility WBG","affiliation":"World Bank","email":"reproducibility@worldbank.org"}],"datasets":[{"name":"Pakistan Labor Force Survey","uri":"https:\/\/www.pbs.gov.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/LFS-2018-19.zip","access_type":"Data is publicly available but does not allow redistribution and is not included in the reproducibility package.","note":"Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.\nYear: 2018-19.\nFile location: \\Data\\LFS 2018-19.dta.","license":"Custom license","citation":"Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. (2019). Labour Force Survey 2018-19 [dataset]. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. https:\/\/www.pbs.gov.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/LFS-2018-19.zip. Accessed 2018-2019.","license_uri":"https:\/\/www.pbs.gov.pk\/data-dissemination\/"},{"name":"Job Jobseeker Data","note":"Source: Job Talash job-matching platform; data jointly owned by the World Bank, Center for Economic Research of Pakistan (CERP), and Duke University. Comprises five survey instruments: (1) Household Survey; (2) Subscriber Signup (Jobseeker Baseline) Survey; (3) Subscriber CV Information Updates Survey; (4) Jobseeker Application\/Screener Survey; (5) Jobseeker Survey on On\/Off-Platform Search Activity. Data provided are processed intermediary datasets. Full details are available in the README.\nData were collected from October 2016 to September 2022.\nFile location: \"\\Data\".\nFile names: HHlisting_long_anony.dta; JT_JA_signup_harmonized_se.dta; jaebs_prep.dta; JTupdates_JA_harmonized.dta; JT_JA_screener_appended.dta; CV_updates_highed_data; CV_updates_Highed_attempts.dta; CV_updates_Lowed_attempts.dta; CV_updates_Lowed_FS_attempts data; cv_updates_uniq_ID_list_he_2022_08_11_b5.csv; 20percent_prep.dta; 20percent_bonuscalls_prep.dta; 20percent_prep_attempt.dta; JT_followup_survey_rand.dta; JT_rand_preload_10percent_hybridmod.dta; all_optout.dta; JT_noid_updated.dta; JA_updated.dta; search_work_resp_ac.dta; jsfollowup_prep.dta.","uri":"https:\/\/microdatalib.worldbank.org\/index.php\/catalog\/20038","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","citation":"Vyborny, Kate, Robert Garlick, Nivedhitha Subramanian, and Erica Field. 2026. \"Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform 2016-2022.\" World Bank Microdata Library. Accessed July 23, 2026. https:\/\/microdata.worldbank.org\/catalog\/8493.","license":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License","license_uri":"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/summary-terms-of-use"},{"name":"Firm Data","note":"Source: Job Talash job-matching platform study; data jointly owned by the World Bank, Center for Economic Research of Pakistan (CERP), and Duke University. Comprises two survey instruments: (1) Firm Baseline and Ad-Listing Survey; (2) Firm Feedback Survey. Data provided are processed intermediary datasets. Full details are available in the README.\nData were collected from May 2017 to September 2022. \nFile location: \"\\Data\".\nFile names: FirmSurvey_nodup_anon_se.dta; FS_adlisting_anon_se.dta; FS_feedback_cleaned_anon_se.dta; FS_MidlineSurvey_feedback_cleaned.dta; FS_del_cleaned_unique_jobid.dta; FS_non_compliance_int_med.dta; FS_interview_med.dta; cv_tracking_batches.dta.","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","license":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License","license_uri":"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/summary-terms-of-use","uri":"https:\/\/microdatalib.worldbank.org\/index.php\/catalog\/20038","citation":"Vyborny, Kate, Robert Garlick, Nivedhitha Subramanian, and Erica Field. 2026. \"Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform 2016-2022.\" World Bank Microdata Library. Accessed July 23, 2026. https:\/\/microdata.worldbank.org\/catalog\/8493."},{"name":"Job Talash Administrative Data","note":"Source: Job Talash job-matching platform study; administrative data jointly owned by the World Bank, Center for Economic Research of Pakistan (CERP), and Duke University. Contains jobseeker-vacancy pair matches generated by the platform algorithm based on jobseekers' profiles and preferences and firms' requirements. Includes the main treatment variable (phone call treatment). Data provided are processed intermediary datasets. Full details are available in the README.\nAccess date: August 2017 \u2013 September 2022. \nFile location: \"\\Data\".\nFile names: matches_JT_JA_consolidated.dta; matches_prep_se.dta.","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","license":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License","license_uri":"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/summary-terms-of-use","uri":"https:\/\/microdatalib.worldbank.org\/index.php\/catalog\/20038","citation":"Vyborny, Kate, Robert Garlick, Nivedhitha Subramanian, and Erica Field. 2026. \"Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform 2016-2022.\" World Bank Microdata Library. Accessed July 23, 2026. https:\/\/microdata.worldbank.org\/catalog\/8493."},{"name":"Job Talash Miscellaneous Auxiliary Datasets","note":"Source: Job Talash job-matching platform study; data jointly owned by the World Bank, Center for Economic Research of Pakistan (CERP), and Duke University. All data de-identified. Includes: (1) hypothetical jobseeker-vacancy matches holding fixed initial jobseeker occupational preferences, education, and experience; (2) CV quality scores from hiring managers for a subset of platform jobs; (3) call order data for screener survey rounds (March 2018 \u2013 February 2021); (4) CV information updates backend and eligibility datasets; (5) two additional rounds of jobseeker-vacancy matches beyond the analysis cutoff (October\u2013November 2022). Data provided are processed intermediary datasets. Full details are available in the README.\nAccess date: March 2018 \u2013 November 2022.\nFile location: \"\\Data\".\nFile names: match_level_analysis_sensitivity.dta; FR_jobs_cv_scoring.dta; CC_jobs_cv_scoring.dta; post_sep2020_call_order.dta; pre_sep2020_call_order_recovered.dta; cv_updates_highed_data_25 Jun 2021.dta; cv_updates_highed_data_2020_11_30.dta; Updates_survey_var_JT.dta; match_level_oct2022.dta.","access_type":"Data is publicly available and included in the reproducibility package.","license":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License","license_uri":"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/summary-terms-of-use","uri":"https:\/\/microdatalib.worldbank.org\/index.php\/catalog\/20038","citation":"Vyborny, Kate, Robert Garlick, Nivedhitha Subramanian, and Erica Field. 2026. \"Why Don't Jobseekers Search More? Barriers and Returns to Search on a Job Matching Platform 2016-2022.\" World Bank Microdata Library. Accessed July 23, 2026. https:\/\/microdata.worldbank.org\/catalog\/8493."}],"technology_environment":"Paper exhibits were reproduced on a computer with the following specifications:\n\u2022 OS: Windows 11 Enterprise\n\u2022 Processor: Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6226R CPU @ 2.90GHz\n\u2022 Memory available: 32.0 GB","reproduction_instructions":"The replication package starts from intermediary datasets and these are included in the package. The data originates from multiple survey instruments and administrative records collected progressively over the study period. Due to the complexity of integrating these data streams, the authors have provided semi-cleaned data as the starting point for replication. Semi-cleaning includes appending and merging multiple administrative and survey rounds, harmonizing variable names, cleaning inconsistent or invalid observations, recoding variables, generating identifiers and intermediate variables, applying variable labels, and conducting basic quality checks.\n\nTo reproduce the findings in this paper, a replicator must:\n1. **Secure Access to Data:** Access the datasets not included in the package. See the Datasets section for more details.\n2. **Run the Package:**\n  - Update the working directory in line 38 of the do-file `01_Masterdofile.do`, and run it.\n\nSince not all the data is included, the package includes the results produced by replicators. These files can be used to review the results presented in the paper."},"datacite":{"creators":[{"givenName":"Kate","familyName":"Vyborny","nameType":"Personal","affiliation":[{"name":"World Bank","affiliationIdentifierScheme":"ROR","schemeUri":"https:\/\/ror.org","affiliationIdentifier":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00ae7jd04"}]},{"givenName":"Erica","familyName":"Field","nameType":"Personal","affiliation":[{"name":"Duke University","affiliationIdentifierScheme":"ROR","schemeUri":"https:\/\/ror.org","affiliationIdentifier":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00py81415"}]},{"givenName":"Robert","familyName":"Garlick","nameType":"Personal","affiliation":[{"name":"Duke University","affiliationIdentifierScheme":"ROR","schemeUri":"https:\/\/ror.org","affiliationIdentifier":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00py81415"}]},{"givenName":"Nivedhitha","familyName":"Subramanian","nameType":"Personal","affiliation":[{"name":"Bates College","affiliationIdentifierScheme":"ROR","schemeUri":"https:\/\/ror.org","affiliationIdentifier":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003yn7c76"}]}],"titles":[{"lang":"en","title":"Reproducibility package for Why Don\u2019t Jobseekers Search More? Barriers And Returns To Search On A Job Matching Platform"},{"title":"RR_PAK_2026_662","titleType":"Other"}],"publisher":"World Bank","publicationYear":"2026","types":{"resourceType":"Reproducibility package","resourceTypeGeneral":"Other"},"url":"https:\/\/reproducibility.worldbank.org\/index.php\/catalog\/study\/RR_PAK_2026_662","language":"en"},"tags":[{"tag":"DOI"},{"tag":"Open Code"},{"tag":"Open Data"}],"schematype":"script"}