The Department of Economics at the University of Copenhagen invites applications for two PhD scholarships within the research project “What is keeping unemployed workers from finding employment? The role of Information, job characteristics, and behavioral biases”. The project is headed by Associate Professors Nikolaj Harmon (University of Copenhagen) and Alexander Sebald (Copenhagen Business School). We expect the successful candidates to start employment in Summer 2022 (earliest possible start date will be June 1, 2022).
The Project
Unemployment is detrimental to society and individuals. Helping unemployed workers find good jobs is therefore very important. The aim of the research project is to improve our understanding of how job search works and how we can improve job outcomes for the unemployed.
A main problem for previous research on job search is lack of data. While many data sets contain information about unemployment and job finding, very few data sets contain information about job search behavior. At the center of this research project sits a range of brand new data sources that try to fill this gap. This includes data on actual job applications, click-by-click data on how job seekers search for jobs online and novel survey data to be collected in the project. These data will be combined with the detailed administrative register data from Statistics Denmark.
The new data will be used both to test and expand existing theories of job search and also to bring in new insights from behavioral economics and psychology.
The PhD positions
The offered PhD positions will be part of a research group at the Department of Economics at the University of Copenhagen and the Department of Economics at Copenhagen Business School, and work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and the public employment agency STAR. The PhD positions will be awarded either as a 5+3 or a 4+4 position depending on the situation of the applicant.
Both PhD positions will allow students to learn and apply a broad spectrum of complementary scientific methods to shed new light on a number of fundamental questions related to individuals’ job search behavior, their earnings and employment prospects, and aggregate labor market performance. For their research projects, the PhD students can exploit a unique combination of data, including rich administrative data from Statistics Denmark and STAR and high-frequency data on job search and job applications. In addition to working with microeconometrics and/or job search theory, the PhD students will also have the possibility to participate in the design and implementation of new surveys and large-scale randomized controlled trials.
The 5+3 PhD study programme
In order to be eligible for a scholarship in the 5+3 PhD study programme the applicant must have completed a two year MSc degree programme, or have earned 120 ECTS credits at an equivalent academic level before starting his or her employment. Applicants should check the study programmes for more detailed descriptions of the entry requirements. PhD students are paid a salary in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The PhD student has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3 year period of time without additional pay. The work obligation can include for instance teaching.
The 4+4 PhD study programme
Students who have completed a BSc plus 60 ECTS of an MSc degree programme would enrol as PhD students simultaneously with their enrolment in the MSc degree programme. Applicants should check the study programmes for more detailed descriptions of the entry requirements. Until an MSc degree is obtained, the grant is paid partly in the form of up to 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: SU-klip). More specifically the PhD student will be paid two grant portions per month plus salary for work (teaching, presentations etc.) which totals a workload of at least 280 hours. Payment and conditions of employment are carried out in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Upon completion of the MSc degree the student is transferred to the salary-earning part of the PhD studies.
The Phd fellow is expected to seek funding for fieldwork as this is not included in the scholarship.
Duties and Responsibilities
Further information about the PhD study programme is available on the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences:
https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/
https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/
Under "Legal basis" on the website you will find information about the rules and guidelines for the PhD programme and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD programme at the Universities.
Information about the PhD study programme is also available on the PhD website of the Department of Economics. Link: https://www.economics.ku.dk/phd/til-ansoegere/
Qualifications
The ideal candidates for the PhD positions have a strong background in micro econometrics, labour economics and/or applied microeconomics. Additional interests in job search theory (for the first position) and behavioural economics (for the second position) are an asset, though not a requirement. For both positions, programming and data processing skills as well as previous experience with administrative register data from Statistics Denmark are a large plus. Candidates who possess any of the aforementioned skills should make sure to emphasize this in their application materials.
Applications
- The Faculty welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of age, gender, race, religion, ethnic background and citizenship.
- In order to be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enrol as a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013. You will find general information about the PhD program on the website of the Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/ (in English) and https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen (in Danish).
- An assessment committee will evaluate the applications. The applicants will be notified of the composition of the assessment committee. When the assessment committee has finished the evaluation each applicant will receive the evaluation of his/her application.
How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.
The application should contain the following:
- a CV
- transcripts of grades
- a short motivation letter (less than 500 words) answering the following questions: Is there a research question related to the project description that you would be particularly interested in? How can you imagine that you could answer it with administrative or survey data?
Application process
On the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences, you will find information about the application process, and enclosures to include with your electronic application:
https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/applicants/application/current_advertisement/
https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/til_ansogere/ansoegning/aktuelle_opslag/
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/
International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/
Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-1008/22-2H #1
Additional information about the position can be obtained from Nikolaj Arpe Harmon, e-mail: nikolaj.harmon@econ.ku.dk
The application must be submitted electronically no later than March 14, 2022
Applications received after deadline or by regular mail will not be taken into account.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
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