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Employer Skill Demands and Labor Market Outcomes of Blacks and Women

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  • Harry J. Holzer

Abstract

The author uses data from a 1992–94 survey of employers in four metropolitan areas to investigate the effects of skill demands, as measured by hiring requirements and job tasks, on the wages and employment of newly hired workers. Skill demands were generally associated with lower employment of blacks than whites, and with higher employment of women than men. Most tasks and requirements had statistically significant positive effects on starting hourly wages. Together, these effects help to account for some of the differences between the hourly wages of white and black men, and for some of the trends over time in the relative wages and employment of race and gender groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Harry J. Holzer, 1998. "Employer Skill Demands and Labor Market Outcomes of Blacks and Women," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 52(1), pages 82-98, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:52:y:1998:i:1:p:82-98
    DOI: 10.1177/001979399805200105
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan B. Krueger, 1993. "How Computers Have Changed the Wage Structure: Evidence from Microdata, 1984–1989," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(1), pages 33-60.
    2. Harry J. Holzer, 1998. "Why Do Small Establishments Hire Fewer Blacks Than Large Ones?," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 33(4), pages 896-914.
    3. Davidson, Carl & Martin, Lawrence & Matusz, Steven, 1988. "The Structure of Simple General Equilibrium Models with Frictional Unemployment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(6), pages 1267-1293, December.
    4. Oettinger, Gerald S, 1996. "Statistical Discrimination and the Early Career Evolution of the Black-White Wage Gap," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(1), pages 52-78, January.
    5. Chinhui Juhn & Kevin M. Murphy & Robert H. Topel, 1991. "Why Has the Natural Rate of Unemployment Increased over Time?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(2), pages 75-142.
    6. John E. DiNardo & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 1997. "The Returns to Computer Use Revisited: Have Pencils Changed the Wage Structure Too?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(1), pages 291-303.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Olivier Baguelin, 2005. "Understanding socio-demographic disparities in the labor market: the case for a motivation-based theory," Post-Print halshs-00196132, HAL.
    2. Marina Bassi & Matías Busso & Sergio Urzúa & Jaime Vargas, 2012. "Disconnected: Skills, Education, and Employment in Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 79504, February.
    3. Joanna N. Lahey, 2017. "Understanding Why Black Women Are Not Working Longer," NBER Chapters, in: Women Working Longer: Increased Employment at Older Ages, pages 85-109, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Busso, Matías & Bassi, Marina & Urzúa, Sergio & Vargas, Jaime, 2012. "Disconnected: Skills, Education, and Employment in Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 427.
    5. Michael A. Stoll, 2005. "Geographical Skills Mismatch, Job Search and Race," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 42(4), pages 695-717, April.
    6. Chad R. Wilkerson & Megan D. Williams, 2006. "Minority workers in the Tenth District: rising presence, rising challenges," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 91(Q IV), pages 31-59.
    7. Olivier Baguelin, 2005. "Self-esteem achievement through work and socio-demographic disparities in the labor market," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques v05065, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    8. Joanna N. Lahey & Douglas R. Oxley, 2021. "Discrimination at the Intersection of Age, Race, and Gender: Evidence from an Eye‐Tracking Experiment," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(4), pages 1083-1119, September.
    9. Pauline Halchuk, 2006. "Measuring employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 9(2), pages 201-215, June.
    10. Dragos BIGU, 2009. "Discrimination and Profit," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 10(5), pages 1021-1027, December.
    11. Madhu S. Mohanty, 2003. "An Alternative Explanation for the Equality of Male and Female Unemployment Rates in the U.S. Labor Market in the Late 1980s," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 29(1), pages 69-92, Winter.
    12. Michael A. Stoll & Steven Raphael & Harry J. Holzer, 2001. "Why Are Black Employers More Likely to Hire African Americans than White Employers?," JCPR Working Papers 228, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.

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