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Sexual Orientation, Prejudice and Segregation

Author

Listed:
  • Plug, Erik

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Webbink, Dinand

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Martin, Nicholas G.

    (Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

Abstract

This paper examines whether gay and lesbian workers sort into tolerant occupations. With information on sexual orientation, prejudice and occupational choice taken from Australian Twin Registers, we find that gays and lesbians shy away from prejudiced occupations. We show that our segregation results are largely driven by those gay and lesbian workers with disclosed identities, and robust to the inclusion of unobserved factors that are inherited and observed factors that strongly correlate with productive skills and vocational preferences. Our segregation estimates are generally large and consistent with prejudice based theories of employer and employee discrimination against gay and lesbian workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Plug, Erik & Webbink, Dinand & Martin, Nicholas G., 2011. "Sexual Orientation, Prejudice and Segregation," IZA Discussion Papers 5772, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5772
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    segregation; sexual orientation; occupational choice; discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; 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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