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Are Affirmative Action Hires Less Qualified? Evidence from Employer-Employee Data on New Hires

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  • Holzer, Harry
  • Neumark, David

Abstract

The authors use microlevel data on employers and employees from a sample of establishments in four major metropolitan areas in the United States to investigate whether Affirmative Action leads to the hiring of minority or female employees who are less qualified. Their measures of qualifications include the educational attainment of the workers hired and a variety of outcome measures related to worker performance on the job. The authors find evidence of lower educational qualifications among women and minorities hired under Affirmative Action. However, they do not find evidence of weaker job performance among most groups of minority and female Affirmative Action hires. Copyright 1999 by University of Chicago Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Holzer, Harry & Neumark, David, 1999. "Are Affirmative Action Hires Less Qualified? Evidence from Employer-Employee Data on New Hires," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(3), pages 534-569, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:v:17:y:1999:i:3:p:534-69
    DOI: 10.1086/209930
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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