Discrimination in hiring based on potential and realized fertility: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment

被引:56
作者
Becker, Sascha O. [1 ]
Fernandes, Ana [2 ]
Weichselbaumer, Doris [3 ]
机构
[1] Univ Warwick, Dept Econ, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands, England
[2] Bern Univ Appl Sci, Sch Business, Bruckenstr 73, CH-3005 Bern, Switzerland
[3] Johannes Kepler Univ Linz, Altenbergerstr 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria
基金
瑞士国家科学基金会;
关键词
Fertility; Discrimination; Experimental economics; GENDER WAGE GAP; JOB; POLICIES; SEX;
D O I
10.1016/j.labeco.2019.04.009
中图分类号
F [经济];
学科分类号
02 ;
摘要
Due to conventional gender norms, women are more likely to be in charge of childcare than men. From an employer's perspective, in their fertile age they are also at "risk" of pregnancy. Both factors potentially affect hiring practices of firms. We conduct a large-scale correspondence test in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, sending out approx. 9000 job applications, varying job candidate's personal characteristics such as marital status and age of children. We find evidence that, for part-time jobs, married women with older kids, who likely finished their childbearing cycle and have more projectable childcare chores than women with very young kids, are at a significant advantage vis-a-vis other groups of women. At the same time, married, but childless applicants, who have a higher likelihood to become pregnant, are at a disadvantage compared to single, but childless applicants to part-time jobs. Such effects are not present for full-time jobs presumably because, by applying to these in contrast to part-time jobs, women signal that they have arranged for external childcare.
引用
收藏
页码:139 / 152
页数:14
相关论文
共 40 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], HDB FIELD EXPT
[2]  
[Anonymous], 1957, EC DISCRIMINATION
[3]  
[Anonymous], 1962, LABOR FORCE PARTICIP
[4]  
Arrow K., 1973, Discrimination in Labour Markers
[5]  
Baert S., 2018, AUDIT STUDIES SCENES
[6]   Do Employer Preferences Contribute to Sticky Floors? [J].
Baert, Stijn ;
De Pauw, Ann-Sophie ;
Deschacht, Nick .
ILR REVIEW, 2016, 69 (03) :714-736
[7]   Career lesbians. Getting hired for not having kids? [J].
Baert, Stijn .
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, 2014, 45 (06) :543-561
[8]  
Bartos V., 2015, IDEA STUDY, V1
[9]   The Gender Wage Gap: Extent, Trends, and Explanations [J].
Blau, Francine D. ;
Kahn, Lawrence M. .
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE, 2017, 55 (03) :789-865
[10]   Female Labor Supply: Why Is the United States Falling Behind? [J].
Blau, Francine D. ;
Kahn, Lawrence M. .
AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, 2013, 103 (03) :251-256