Many employers report persistent hiring difficulties, with vacancies remaining unfilled for extended periods. A potential mechanism is imperfect employer information about local labor-market conditions and the determinants of applicant supply. Empirical evidence on such information deficits is limited, though they are likely to be especially prevalent among firms with limited hiring experience.

The project, conducted in collaboration with AMS Lower Austria, examines recruitment practices among AMS-advised firms and evaluates whether additional labor-market information supports more efficient vacancy filling. Core components include:

• Use of AMS and social-insurance data to document recruitment patterns, quantify AMS’s contribution to successful matches and document the degree of deviations from CBA wages in job postings.

• A survey of AMS firm counsellors to assess their perceptions of local labor markets, firm information deficiencies and advisory practices.

• A pilot intervention that provides firms with low-threshold labor-market information to test whether targeted information provision improves job postings and hiring outcomes.

The project is funded by the Anniversary Fund of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB).