Events

13 January 2021 - Online Seminar Series

Webinar: The Economics of Migration ( Senior Seminar)

Date & Time:  January 13th 17h30 (CET)

Speakers: Alexander Teytelboym (University of Oxford)

Register here (Zoom)

Topic:  An Adaptive Targeted Field Experiment: Job Search Assistance for Refugees in Jordan (joint with Stefano Caria, Grant Gordon, Maximilian Kasy, Simon Quinn and Soha Shami)

Abstract:

We introduce a novel methodology for adaptive targeted experiments. Our Tempered Thompson Algorithm balances the goals of maximizing the precision of treatment effect estimates and maximizing the welfare of experimental participants. A hierarchical Bayesian model allows us to adaptively target treatments at different groups. We implement our methodology in a field experiment. We examine the impact of three interventions designed to improve formal employment outcomes of Syrian refugees and local jobseekers in Jordan: one treatment to address liquidity constraints, one to address information frictions, and one to address challenges of self-control. Six weeks after being offered treatment, none of the interventions has a significant or meaningful impact on the probability that individuals are in wage employment; we estimate that our targeting algorithm had a positive but small effect on aggregate employment (approximately 1 percentage point). However, we find large employment effects of all treatments for refugees at the two-month follow-up, and suggestive evidence of four-month impacts for the cash grant; liquidity appears to be a key barrier to employment for refugees.

Read the paper here.

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About the seminar series:
This is a joint initiative of LISER's Crossing Borders research programme, CERDI, PSE,the University of Luxembourg and Universidad Carlos III. Its objective is to propose an opportunity to migration scholars for exchanging under the current exceptional circumstances.
Senior Seminars are held on Wednesdays at 17h30 CET.
Junior Seminars are held on Mondays at 17h30 CET
To learn more and view all Seminars click here