American Economic Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
Breaking Gender Barriers: Experimental Evidence on Men in Pink-Collar Jobs
American Economic Review
vol. 114,
no. 6, June 2024
(pp. 1816–53)
Abstract
I investigate men's limited entry into female-dominated sectors through a large-scale field experiment. The design exogenously varies recruitment messages by showing photographs of current workers (male or female) and providing information on the share of workers who received high evaluations in the past (higher or lower). A male photograph has no impact on men's applications, but informing about a lower share of high evaluations encourages men to apply and enables the employer to hire and retain more talented men. The impact of this informational intervention remains positive for the employer also accounting for its effects on female applicants and hires.Citation
Delfino, Alexia. 2024. "Breaking Gender Barriers: Experimental Evidence on Men in Pink-Collar Jobs." American Economic Review, 114 (6): 1816–53. DOI: 10.1257/aer.20220582Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- C93 Field Experiments
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J23 Labor Demand
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- M51 Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions