Are You In or Out? An Inquiry into the Source and Audience of Job Advertisements

Abstract

This inquiry into the source and audience of job advertisements takes a multi-disciplinary perspective by integrating contemporary labor economics theory into the study of mass media phenomenon. This approach enriches the analysis and interpretation of the manifest and latent content of job advertisements addressed to the working-age population. In analyzing the content of job advertisements and comparing the results with the statistics and literature, the study finds that, given limited information about actual productivity, firms rationally stereotype among workers on the basis of observable indicators such as age, sex, education, years of work experience, proficiency, skills and traits.