Field Experiments on Discrimination

Bertrand, Marianne; Duflo, Esther

doi:10.3386/w22014

Cited by 303 publications

(370 citation statements)

References 161 publications

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“…For a detailed discussion of limitations regarding labor market field experiments, see Riach and Rich (2002), Pager (2007), Beart (2017, and Bertrand and Duflo (2017). Also, for a discussion regarding ethical issues concerning labor market field experiments on discrimination, see Rich (2004a, 2004b).…”

Section: Study Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We utilized a field experiment since it has proven to be an efficient and powerful methodology to document evidence of discrimination against different groups of people in various markets (Riach and Rich 2002;Pager 2007;Bertrand and Duflo, 2017). We developed carefully matched pairs of written applications for fictitious applicants with and without a past conviction of assault.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market

Ahmed

Lång

2017

IZA J Labor Policy

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This paper presents the findings of a field experiment on hiring discrimination against ex-offenders in the Swedish labor market. Matched pairs of written job applications for fictitious male and female applicants with and without a past conviction of assault were sent to employers for nine different occupations. Results show that discrimination against ex-offenders exists, but the extent of it varies across occupations. The past conviction of assault was associated with 7-18 percentage point lower probability of receiving a positive employer response. Discrimination against ex-offenders was pronounced in female-dominated and highskilled occupations. The magnitude of discrimination against ex-offenders did not vary by applicants' sex.JEL Classification: C93, J71, K42

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Section: Study Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market

Ahmed

Lång

2017

IZA J Labor Policy

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“…In the case of social media used for leisure purposes, for example, Facebook, users often disclose information without considering potential professional consequences. Bertrand and Duflo () highlight that the impact of social media on hiring discrimination has been largely overlooked in the economic literature so far, although documenting such practices is essential since the discrimination occurs without the applicants awareness . In this paper, we propose an experimental setting to assess whether information disclosed on social media constitutes a source of discrimination during hiring.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can social media lead to labor market discrimination? Evidence from a field experiment

Manant

Pajak

Soulié

2018

Economics Manag Strategy

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In this paper, we investigate the role of social media as a source of information for recruiters to discriminate applicants. We set up a field experiment over a 12‐month period, involving more than 800 applications from two fictitious applicants which differed in their perceived origins, which is an information available only from their Facebook profiles. During the experiment, an unexpected change in the Facebook layout reduced the salience of the information available on social media profiles. Before this change, a significant 41.7% gap between the two applicants callback rates highlights that personal online profiles are used by recruiters as a source of information to discriminate against applicants of foreign origin. After the layout change that mitigates our signal, the difference in callback rates fades away. This result suggests that the screening conducted by the employers does not go beyond the main pages of profiles. It also illustrates that design choices made by online platforms may have important consequences on the extent of discrimination.

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“…Over the last decade, social scientists have advanced the study of discrimination by using field experiments to address the well-known limitations of surveys and observational studies in demonstrating bias (Bertrand and Duflo 2016;Costa 2017 Butler and Broockman 2011;Gaddis 2015;Kalla, Rosenbluth, and Teele 2017;Neumark 2012;Pager and Shepherd 2008;Pedulla 2016). A few experimental studies have also examined the potential for religious discrimination in the workplace.…”

Section: Previous Experimental Research On Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does religious bias shape access to public services? A large-scale audit experiment among street-level bureaucrats

Pfaff¹,

Crabtree²,

Kern³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Despite growing descriptive evidence of discrimination against minority religious groups and atheists in the United States, little experimental work exists studying whether individuals face differential barriers to receiving public services depending on their religious affiliation. Here we report results from a large-scale audit study of street-level bureaucrats in the American public school system. We emailed the principals of more than 45,000 public schools and asked for a meeting, randomly assigning the religious affiliation/non-affiliation of the family. To get at potential mechanisms, we also randomly assigned belief intensity.We find evidence of substantial discrimination against Muslims and atheists. These individuals are substantially less likely to receive a response, with discrimination growing when they signal that their beliefs are more intense. Protestants and Catholics face no discrimination unless they signal that their religious beliefs are intense. Our ?findings suggest that minority religious groups and atheists face important barriers to equal representation in the public arena.

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Field Experiments on Discrimination

Cited by 303 publications

References 161 publications

The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market

The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market

Can social media lead to labor market discrimination? Evidence from a field experiment

Does religious bias shape access to public services? A large-scale audit experiment among street-level bureaucrats

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