Whom Do Employers Want? The Role of Recent Employment and Unemployment Status and Age

2018/08/16 by Henry S. Farber, Chris M. Herbst, Dan Silverman +1 · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Labor market dynamics and wage inequality #Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research

paper · doi:10.1086/700184

openalex publication_date 2018/08/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We use a résumé audit study to investigate the role of employment and unemployment histories in callbacks to job applications. We find that applicants with 52 weeks of unemployment have a lower callback rate than those with shorter spells. There is no relationship, however, between spell length and callback among applicants with spells of 24 weeks or less. We also find that both younger and older applicants have a lower callback probability than prime-aged applicants. Finally, we find that applicants who are employed at the time of application have a lower callback rate than do unemployed applicants.

Citations

• Analysis of Covariance with Qualitative Data

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