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Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record

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  • Zoë Cullen
  • Will Dobbie
  • Mitchell Hoffman

Abstract

We experimentally test several approaches to increasing the demand for workers with a criminal record on a nationwide staffing platform by addressing potential downside risk and productivity concerns. The staffing platform asked hiring managers to make a series of hypothetical hiring decisions that affected whether workers with a criminal record could accept their jobs in the future. We find that 39% of businesses in our sample are willing to work with individuals with a criminal record at baseline, which rises to over 50% when businesses are offered crime and safety insurance, a single performance review, or a limited background check covering just the past year. Wage subsidies can achieve similar increases but at a substantially higher cost. Based on our findings, the staffing platform relaxed the criminal background check requirement and offered crime and safety insurance to interested businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Zoë Cullen & Will Dobbie & Mitchell Hoffman, 2023. "Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(1), pages 103-150.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:qjecon:v:138:y:2023:i:1:p:103-150.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/qje/qjac029
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    Cited by:

    1. Amanda Y. Agan & Andrew Garin & Dmitri K. Koustas & Alexandre Mas & Crystal Yang, 2023. "Labor Market Impacts of Reducing Felony Convictions," NBER Working Papers 31773, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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