Personalised vacancy suggestions modestly increased paid employment among unemployed users of Sweden’s Platsbanken. A June 2026 working paper reports an adjusted gain of 0.38 percentage points above a 60.6% control rate.[1]
The public trial registration describes two linked lotteries. Half the job seekers could receive recommendations; the others saw the usual website. Separately, half the vacancies were eligible for recommendation. This design made it possible to distinguish a person being offered suggestions from a particular vacancy being shown to them.[2]
During April 2021–March 2022, the system used advert-viewing histories and excluded already-popular vacancies. Adding a suggestions box tested presentation and matching together.[1]
The analysis covered 245,370 users unemployed at assignment, measuring any earnings by April 2022; follow-up varied. The approximate 95% interval for the conventionally adjusted gain is 0.03–0.73 points. The unadjusted estimate missed the 5% significance threshold.[1]
The registration put employment and wages alongside search activity as planned outcomes. That distinction matters for a jobs board: opening an advert, applying and eventually earning money are different events. A system can move attention without completing the chain. Following employment records asks whether something changed beyond the website.[2]
Platsbanken’s current search guidance shows what ordinary discovery involves: filters for qualifications, experience and driving licences, plus sorting by date or relevance. These help people express requirements they already know. The guidance also offers daily email alerts for matching adverts. Such tools organise a person’s chosen search.[3]
Clicks to start applications did not increase. The employment result is consistent with directing existing search effort towards more promising vacancies.[1]
Sources & further reading
- How can AI improve search and matching? Evidence from 59 million personalized job recommendations Le Barbanchon, Hensvik and Rathelot · Accessed 28 Oct 2026
- Does automatic recommendations lead to better matching between job seekers and employers? AEA RCT Registry · 18 Dec 2021 · Accessed 28 Oct 2026
- 11 knep för effektivt jobbsök i Platsbanken Arbetsförmedlingen · 16 Sep 2025 · Accessed 28 Oct 2026