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Hours Constraints, Occupational Choice, and Gender: Evidence from Medical Residents

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  • Melanie Wasserman

Abstract

Do the long work hours required by many high-paying professions inhibit the entry of women? I investigate this question by studying a 2003 policy that capped the average workweek for medical residents at 80 hours. Using data on the universe of US medical school graduates, I find that when a specialty reduces its weekly hours, more women enter the specialty, whereas there is little change in men’s entry. I provide evidence that the increase in women is due to changes in labour supply, rather than labour demand. At the residency program level, I document that baseline female representation predicts female entry after the reform. A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the reallocation of women among medical specialties due to the hours reduction can close the physician gender wage gap by 11.

Suggested Citation

  • Melanie Wasserman, 2023. "Hours Constraints, Occupational Choice, and Gender: Evidence from Medical Residents," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(3), pages 1535-1568.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:90:y:2023:i:3:p:1535-1568.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdac042
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