Do Microcredentials Help New Workers Enter the Market? Evidence from an Online Labor Platform

<b>Do Microcredentials Help New Workers Enter the Market? Evidence from an Online Labor Platform </b><br>Code and data accompanying the work to produce figures of the paper 'Do Microcredentials Help New Workers Enter the Market? Evidence from an Online Labor Platform'. (forthcoming in the Journal of Human Resources)<br><b>Authors</b>Otto Kässi ([e-mail])Vili Lehdonvirta<br><b>Abstract</b>We investigate the effects of a voluntary microcredentialing scheme on an online freelancing labor market. Drawing on transaction-level data, we show that obtaining a microcredential increases workers’ earnings. This effect is not driven by increased worker productivity but by decreased employer uncertainty. The increase in worker earnings is realized through an increase in the value of the projects won rather than an increase in the number of projects. We also find that the effect of microcredentials is lower for more experienced workers, which suggests that signaling by microcredentials and other forms of verified information are partial substitutes. <br><b>Citation</b>Kässi, O., &amp; Lehdonvirta, V. (2018, November 15). Do Microcredentials Help New Workers Enter the Market? Evidence from an Online Labor Platform. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/7tybd<br><b>Data</b>The data for this project are proprietary and we cannot legally share them. However, if any researchers are interested in getting similar data, we will try to help them do this. Please contact [e-mail].<br>See <i>readme.md</i> for details.<br>