How skin color, class status, and gender intersect in the labor market: Evidence from a field experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 100477
Author(s):  
Felipe A. Dias
Author(s):  
Lex Thijssen ◽  
Marcel Coenders ◽  
Bram Lancee

AbstractIn this study, we present the results of a large-scale field experiment on ethnic discrimination in the Dutch labor market. We sent fictitious job applications (N = 4211) to vacancies for jobs in ten different occupations in the Netherlands. By examining 35 different ethnic minority groups, we detect considerable differences in discrimination rates, predominantly between Western and non-Western minorities. Furthermore, we find little systematic variation in discrimination patterns with regard to gender, regions, and occupations, pointing to the existence of an ethnic hierarchy that is widely shared among employers. Finally, we do not find empirical support for the hypothesis that adding personal information in job applications reduces discrimination.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Goldberg

I use a field experiment to estimate the wage elasticity of employment in the day labor market in rural Malawi. Once a week for 12 consecutive weeks, I make job offers for a workfare-type program to 529 adults. The daily wage varies from the tenth to the ninetieth percentile of the wage distribution, and individuals are entitled to work a maximum of one day per week. In this context (the low agricultural season), 74 percent of individuals worked at the lowest wage, and consequently the estimated labor supply elasticity is low (0.15), regardless of observable characteristics. (JEL C93, J22, J31, O15, O18, R23)


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Carolyn Arcand

The attainment of postsecondary credentials holds particular promise in improving economic security for low-income single mothers. However, the type of school attended may matter when determining whether postsecondary credentials will foster positive labor market outcomes and financial stability for former students. This paper describes the pre-test of a field experiment to examine whether the school type listed on a job applicant’s resume has an impact on receiving a call for a job interview, in fields commonly pursued by low-income women. School types tested were for-profit schools and community colleges. Results revealed little difference in outcomes for job seekers with credentials from each school type. However, more reliable results could be obtained by repeating this study in a stronger economy, using job candidates with minimal applicable experience, applying to a greater number of positions, and selecting occupations for which an academic credential is widely seen as a prerequisite for entry.DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v5i1_arcand


Equilibrium ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Beata Woźniak-Jęchorek

The article focuses on regional diversity of the Polish Labor Market from institutional perspective. The Polish Labor Market is geographically diverse in terms of unemployment and employment rates, and also in terms of economic development. At the end of 2013 the difference between the lowest and the highest unemployment rate in the Polish regions was 12.1% (Wielkopolska located in the West Poland has unemployment rate of 9.6% and Warmia - Mazury in the East has unemployment of 21.7%). The question arises whether this difference comes from the structural or institutional sources. The paper describe the character of Polish Labor Market, whereas in the second part, it traces the impact of institutional variables such as real wage, Kaitz index and Gender gap on the regional unemployment rate in 2002–2012 in Poland.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor W. Hargrove

This study addresses three research questions critical to understanding if and how skin color shapes health among African Americans: (1) Does skin color predict trajectories of body mass index (BMI) among African Americans across ages 32 to 55? (2) To what extent is this relationship contingent on gender? (3) Do sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors explain the skin color–BMI relationship? Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study and growth curve models, results indicate that dark-skinned women have the highest BMI across adulthood compared to all other skin color–gender groups. BMI differences between dark- and lighter-skinned women remain stable from ages 32 to 55. Among men, a BMI disadvantage emerges and widens between light- and dark-skinned men and their medium-skinned counterparts. Observed sociodemographic characteristics, stressors, and health behaviors do not explain these associations. Overall, findings suggest that skin color– and gender-specific experiences likely play an important role in generating BMI inequality.


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