Abstract
Using a large vignette-experiment with Australian employers, we show that providing information about employment gaps substantially reshapes employers' beliefs. Absent the reason for the gap, employers' interview intentions are 0.4 standard deviations lower for long-gap candidates (24-26 months) than short-gap candidates (2-4 months), reflecting perceived deficits in motivation and non-cognitive skills. Reasons eliminate two-thirds of this penalty, consistent with Bayesian updating. Caregiving and firm-shutdown reasons benefit long-gap candidates, while injuries harm short-gap candidates and mental-health conditions harm both. These adjustments, which vary based on candidates' gender and age, highlight when information improves hiring prospects and when it backfires.