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on Gender |
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Issue of 2025–05–19
three papers chosen by Jan Sauermann, Institutet för Arbetsmarknads- och Utbildningspolitisk Utvärdering |
| By: | Reichert, Arndt; Simon, Anne; Sowa, Alina; Strupat, Christoph |
| Abstract: | In this study, we investigate the role of matrilineal kinship norms for gender gaps in labor market outcomes. We analyze the implementation of a reform that significantly altered the customary inheritance system by restricting practices within matrilineal ethnic groups, while those of non-matrilineal groups remained unchanged. As a result, men in matrilineal groups are now more likely to inherit from their fathers rather than their maternal uncles, fundamentally reshaping traditional kinship norms. Using cross-sectional survey data over multiple years in a difference-indifferences framework, we find that restricting these norms substantially increases the gender gap in adult labor hours and child labor. These effects are concentrated in land-owning households, with particularly strong impacts on agricultural labor. In contrast, although the reform leads to significantly reduced transfers to women—indicating weakened ties to their extended families—we find no evidence of tighter household budget constraints or declines in female bargaining power. This suggests that the observed labor effects are not driven by reduced support from the matrikin. Instead, the findings point to a mechanism in which improved prospects for male land inheritance increase men's incentives to engage in agricultural work by raising the returns to their labor. |
| Keywords: | Gender Norms, Labor Supply, Child Labor, Inheritance |
| JEL: | J16 J21 J22 D13 |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:han:dpaper:dp-738 |
| By: | Hunt, Jennifer; Moehling, Carolyn |
| Abstract: | We create a dataset of 14, 000 hand-coded help-wanted advertisements placed by employment agencies in three U.S. newspapers in 1950 and 1960, a time when help-wanted advertisements were divided into male and female sections and collect information on agency ownership. We find that female-owned agencies specialized in vacancies for women, thereby expanding the access of female jobseekers to agency services, including for positions in majority-male occupations. Female-owned agencies advertised more skilled occupations to women than did male-owned agencies, leading to a 5.5% higher wage for women. On the other hand, female-owned agencies had a greater propensity to match male jobseekers to clerical jobs, contributing to 21% lower male wages than for male-owned agencies. The results are consistent with female proprietors having had a comparative advantage in female jobseekers and clerical occupations or with client firms having trusted female proprietors only with vacancies for women and homogeneous, lower-skill occupations. However, in choosing to establish an agency and to specialize in female jobseekers, female proprietors may have sought to mitigate employer discrimination against female jobseekers; their higher propensity to advertise majority-male occupations among professional, technical and managerial advertisements for women may also reflect discrimination mitigation. |
| Keywords: | employment; discrimination; employment agencies |
| JEL: | N2 J63 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–06–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126844 |
| By: | Donna K. Ginther; Shulamit Kahn; Daria Milakhina |
| Abstract: | Using data from Academic Analytics 2009-2022 linked to publications and multiple approaches of identifying race, we examine gender and racial/ethnicity differentials in promotion of economists in economics and non-economics departments. Results are mixed. The share of Black economists remains at 3%. Huge gender penalties in promotion to both associate and full not explained by productivity continue in economics departments. There are no gender penalties in promotion to associate for economists in non-economics departments, although some in promotion to full. There are hardly any significant racial penalties in promotion to either rank, although statistical significance is difficult with such small samples. |
| JEL: | J15 J16 J4 |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33538 |