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Miss-Allocation: The Value of Workplace Gender Composition and Occupational Segregation

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  • Rachel Schuh

Abstract

I analyze the value workers ascribe to the gender composition of their workplace and the consequences of these valuations for occupational segregation, tipping, and welfare. To elicit these valuations, I survey 9,000 U.S. adults using a hypothetical job choice experiment. This reveals that on average women and men value gender diversity, but these average preferences mask substantial heterogeneity. Older female workers are more likely to value gender homophily. This suggests that gender norms and discrimination, which have declined over time, may help explain some women’s desire for homophily. Using these results, I estimate a structural model of occupation choice to assess the influence of gender composition preferences on gender sorting and welfare. I find that workers’ composition valuations are not large enough to create tipping points, but they do reduce female employment in male-dominated occupations substantially. Reducing segregation could improve welfare: making all occupations evenly gender balanced improves utility as much as a 0.4 percent wage increase for women and a 1 percent wage increase for men, on average.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Schuh, 2024. "Miss-Allocation: The Value of Workplace Gender Composition and Occupational Segregation," Staff Reports 1092, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:98021
    DOI: 10.59576/sr.1092
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judd B. Kessler & Corinne Low & Colin D. Sullivan, 2019. "Incentivized Resume Rating: Eliciting Employer Preferences without Deception," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(11), pages 3713-3744, November.
    2. Grace Lordan & Jörn‐Steffen Pischke, 2022. "Does Rosie Like Riveting? Male and Female Occupational Choices," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(353), pages 110-130, January.
    3. Judd B. Kessler & Corinne Low & Colin Sullivan, 2019. "Incentivized Resume Rating: Eliciting Employer Preferences without Deception," NBER Working Papers 25800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Judd Kessler & Corinne Low & Colin D. Sullivan, 2019. "Incentivized Resume Rating: Eliciting Employer Preferences without Deception," Working Papers 2019-039, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; labor; occupational choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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