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Does Ageist Language in Job Ads Predict Age Discrimination in Hiring?

Author

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  • Ian Burn
  • Patrick Button
  • Luis Munguia Corella
  • David Neumark

Abstract

We study ageist stereotypes reflected in job-ad language and age discrimination in hiring, exploiting job-ad text and evidence on age discrimination from a correspondence study. We develop and use methods from computational linguistics and machine learning. We find that language related to stereotypes of older workers sometimes predicts hiring discrimination against older men. This is the case for all three categories of age stereotypes we consider—health, personality, and skill. For women, we find that age stereotypes about personality predict differential hiring by age. The evidence for men is quite consistent with the industrial psychology literature on age stereotypes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Burn & Patrick Button & Luis Munguia Corella & David Neumark, 2022. "Does Ageist Language in Job Ads Predict Age Discrimination in Hiring?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(3), pages 613-667.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/717730
    DOI: 10.1086/717730
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    Cited by:

    1. Cao, Huoqing & Chen, Shiyi & Xi, Xican, 2023. "Aging, migration, and structural transformation in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    2. Zanoni, Wladimir & Díaz, Lina, 2024. "Discrimination against migrants and its determinants: Evidence from a Multi-Purpose Field Experiment in the Housing Rental Market," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    3. Zvedelikova, Mirka, 2024. "Preference for young workers in mid-career recruiting using online ads for sales jobs: Evidence from Japan," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    4. Button, Patrick & Khan, Mashfiqur R. & Penn, Mary, 2022. "Do stronger employment discrimination protections decrease reliance on Social Security Disability Insurance? Evidence from the U.S. Social Security reforms," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    5. Alexander Berry & Molly Maloney & David Neumark, 2024. "The Missing Link? Using LinkedIn Data to Measure Race, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Employment Outcomes at Individual Companies," NBER Chapters, in: Race, Ethnicity, and Economic Statistics for the 21st Century, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Mirka Zvedelikova, 2022. "Preference for Young Workers in Mid-career Recruiting Using Online Ads for Sales Jobs: Evidence from Japan," ISER Discussion Paper 1193rr, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University, revised Oct 2023.
    7. Lippens, Louis & Dalle, Axana & D'hondt, Fanny & Verhaeghe, Pieter-Paul & Baert, Stijn, 2023. "Understanding ethnic hiring discrimination: A contextual analysis of experimental evidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Kuhn, Florian & Chanci, Luis, 2024. "Racial disparities in labor outcomes: The effects of hiring discrimination over the business cycle," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 801-817.
    9. Ian Burn & Daniel Firoozi & Daniel Ladd & David Neumark, 2023. "Age Discrimination and Age Stereotypes in Job Ads," FRBSF Economic Letter, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, vol. 2023(07), pages 1-5, March.

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