It’s Who You Know: How Teachers Use Social Networks to Find Jobs in Decentralized Labor Markets

Dr. Huriya Jabbar presents results from a recent study examining how teachers use their social networks to find jobs in decentralized labor markets, using data from interviews with 128 teachers in New Orleans, Detroit, and San Antonio. Jabbar finds that teachers’ social networks are a key driver of teachers’ job mobility, work decisions, & that a reliance on social networks in job searches comes with drawbacks as tight networks can limit opportunities & reinforce race & gender based inequities.