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on Gender |
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Issue of 2023‒10‒30
two papers chosen by Jan Sauermann, Institutet för Arbetsmarknads- och Utbildningspolitisk Utvärdering |
| By: | Tacsir, Ezequiel; Pereira, Mariano |
| Abstract: | This study presents new findings on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on productivity and innovation for Caribbean firms, with particular focus on the effects on firm gender diversity and workforce composition. Research on the impact of women's participation on firm performance and innovation has so far produced mixed results, though there is some evidence to suggest that for Latin America, larger shares of women in the knowledge creation and innovation process may increase innovative behavior and, as a consequence, lead to greater labor productivity. In the current context, female participation in firms becomes an even more pressing issue, given the early indications of the pandemics disproportionately negative burden on women s income and jobs in different regions. We found that the gender composition of the personnel has an interesting direct effect on productivity. At the same time, our results show that the expected reductions in female personnel due to the pandemic, have a negative effect in the shares of female participation which, in turn, have the potential to nullify the mentioned productivity channel. This suggests the existence of a minimum threshold of female participation to profit from diversity. Hence, it seems that policy should focus particularly on protecting female jobs, particularly in the wake of dramatic shocks affecting revenues and/or employment. |
| Keywords: | Caribbean;pandemic;innovation;gender;Productivity |
| JEL: | O32 J16 D22 |
| Date: | 2023–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:12735&r=gen |
| By: | Díaz Escobar, Ana María; Salas Bahamón, Luz Magdalena; Piras, Claudia; Suaya, Agustina |
| Abstract: | This study tests four "light touch" interventions in the language used in job posts of male- dominated occupations to attract female workers using a discrete choice experiment. This experiment had more than 5000 participants from five Latin American countries. We test two possible mechanisms: the gender-stereotypes related to job skills and the use of inclusive language. We find that language matters, and men and women value information and inclusive language in job advertisements. However, women are more sensitive in this regard. We test the effect of simply aggregating irrelevant, but additional words to the job ad, and find that when the inclusive language in the ad is subtle, the effect of having more words is very important. But it decreases when the language signals a strong preference for an inclusive work environment. These findings highlight the importance of language and the type of information presented in job advertisements in attracting a gender-balanced workforce. |
| Keywords: | Language interventions;access to employment;labor discrimination;jobads;Occupational Segregation |
| JEL: | J16 J24 J63 C91 M54 |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:12819&r=gen |