Gender and the labor market: what have we learned from field and lab experiments?

Azmat, Ghazala and Petrongolo, Barbara (2014) Gender and the labor market: what have we learned from field and lab experiments? CEP Occasional Papers (CEPOP40). The London School of Economics and Political Science, Center of Economic Performance, London, UK.

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Abstract

We discuss the contribution of the experimental literature to the understanding of both traditional and previously unexplored dimensions of gender differences and discuss their bearings on labor market outcomes. Experiments have offered new findings on gender discrimination, and while they have identified a bias against hiring women in some labor market segments, the discrimination detected in field experiments is less pervasive than that implied by the regression approach. Experiments have also offered new insights into gender differences in preferences: to gain less from negotiation, women appear to have lower preferences than men for risk and competition and may be more sensitive to social cues. These gender differences in preferences also have implications in group settings, whereby the gender composition of a group affects team decisions and performance. Most of the evidence on gender traits comes from the lab, and key open questions remain as to the source of gender preferences—nature versus nurture, or their interaction—and their role, if any, in the workplace.

Item Type:	Monograph (Report)
Official URL:	http://cep.lse.ac.uk/
Additional Information:	© 2014 The Authors
Divisions:	Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
JEL classification:	J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J0 - General > J01 - Labor Economics: General J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J16 - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
Date Deposited:	17 Jul 2014 13:40
Last Modified:	13 Sep 2024 16:50
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/57977

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