Connecting Job Seekers with Buddies Online

Why It Matters

The low‑cost peer‑support model improves employment and earnings, especially for long‑term unemployed, offering a scalable complement to traditional training and search mandates.

Key Takeaways

• Online buddy platform raised employment by 6 percentage points after 18 months
• Treated workers earned about $250 more per month, $2.4k total
• Long‑term unemployed saw 9 pp employment gain and $5.5k earnings boost
• Only 19 % matched with a buddy, yet ITT effects remained strong
• Peer support improved occupational switching without increasing application volume

Pulse Analysis

The rapid digital and green transitions are reshaping demand for skills, leaving many workers in declining occupations facing uncertain career paths. Traditional policy tools—training programmes, mandatory broader‑search requirements—often involve high costs and mixed outcomes, especially for the long‑term unemployed. In this context, low‑touch digital interventions that harness social learning have attracted attention. An online “buddy” platform connects job seekers with volunteers who have recently navigated a successful occupational switch, offering practical guidance, confidence‑building, and a glimpse of alternative career routes without the expense of formal training.

The Dutch field experiment involving 713 job seekers demonstrates that such peer‑to‑peer support can translate into measurable labor‑market gains. Although only 19 % of participants actually matched with a buddy, the intention‑to‑treat analysis shows a 6‑percentage‑point increase in employment after 18 months and an average monthly earnings boost of roughly $250, amounting to $2.4 k in additional income. The effect is even larger for individuals unemployed more than 17 weeks, who experience a 9‑point employment lift and about $5.5 k in cumulative earnings. Importantly, the improvement stems from better search strategies and confidence rather than a surge in application volume.

These results suggest a scalable, cost‑effective complement to existing active‑labour‑market policies. Public employment services already maintain databases of recent job‑finders, making it feasible to recruit volunteers and automate matching through a digital platform. Because the intervention relies on peer credibility rather than professional counseling, it can be rolled out rapidly and at modest expense, addressing fiscal constraints faced by many governments. Policymakers may therefore consider integrating buddy systems into broader labour‑market reforms, while future research should explore optimal matching algorithms, long‑term career trajectories, and potential synergies with training programmes.