There are two main contributions to this dissertation: to assess the impact of the proliferation of information through the internet on job match quality and to construct an indicator of latent job match quality based on theoretical predictions from the employee’s perspective. It has been theorized that information in the labor market is a valuable resource in not only expanding the job offer set available to searchers, but also in facilitating efficiency from the more informed choices.

This dissertation uses a sample of relatively homogeneous recent college graduates from the Baccalaureate and Beyond 2000/01 study to test our hypotheses regarding the impact of information on utility from the job for these young labor market entrants. The first part of the dissertation focuses on measurement of well-being. We are able to construct an indicator of utility using rich data on job satisfaction—not only overall satisfaction, but seven other aspects of the job. Building on a literature that argues in favor of a utility framework that incorporates non-pecuniary attributes of the job as utility enhancing in theory, we allow for multiple attributes of the job for constructing an indicator of well-being on the job. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of our satisfaction instruments support a pecuniary and non-pecuniary component in the utility function for a better indicator of well-being on the job, or match quality from the employee perspective. We are able to examine differences in weights on components of the utility function by gender and other characteristics. The next part of the dissertation tests our hypotheses regarding the propensity for the internet as an efficient search method for maximizing well-being on the job. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)