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So Far Away? Hiring Discrimination Against Female Commuters

Author

Listed:
  • Sascha O. Becker
  • Ana Fernandes
  • Nurlan Lalayev
  • Doris Weichselbaumer
  • Ana Margarida Fernandes

Abstract

We study gender differences in employers' responses to commuting distance using data from a large-scale correspondence test in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. A 10 km increase in driving distance reduces women’s probability of receiving an interview invitation by 1.8 percentage points, around 9 percent of the mean female invitation rate, while commuting distance has no corresponding effect for men. The gender difference is statistically significant and robust to alternative distance measures and thresholds, firms’ rural or urban location, and local labor-market tightness. The female distance penalty does not vary detectably with applicants' reported marital status or the presence of children, providing no support for screening based on these observed indicators of household responsibilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sascha O. Becker & Ana Fernandes & Nurlan Lalayev & Doris Weichselbaumer & Ana Margarida Fernandes, 2026. "So Far Away? Hiring Discrimination Against Female Commuters," CESifo Working Paper Series 12989, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12989
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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