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Understanding Labor Market Discrimination against Transgender People: Evidence from a Double List Experiment and a Survey

Author

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  • Aksoy, Billur

    (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

  • Carpenter, Christopher S.

    (Vanderbilt University)

  • Sansone, Dario

    (University of Exeter)

Abstract

Using a US nationally representative sample and a double list experiment designed to elicit views free from social desirability bias, we find that anti-transgender labor market attitudes are significantly underreported. After correcting for this concealment, we report that 73 percent of people would be comfortable with a transgender manager and 74 percent support employment non-discrimination protection for transgender people. We also show that respondents severely underestimate the population level of support for transgender individuals in the workplace, and we find that labor market support for transgender people is significantly lower than support for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Our results provide timely evidence on workplace-related views toward transgender people and help us better understand employment discrimination against them.

Suggested Citation

  • Aksoy, Billur & Carpenter, Christopher S. & Sansone, Dario, 2022. "Understanding Labor Market Discrimination against Transgender People: Evidence from a Double List Experiment and a Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 15542, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15542
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    2. Andreas Kotsadam & Mette Løvgren, 2025. "Is it Time to Put a Moratorium on List Experiments for Domestic Violence Elicitation?," CESifo Working Paper Series 12028, CESifo.
    3. Gagnon, Nickolas & Nosenzo, Daniele, 2026. "Discrimination Preferences," EconStor Preprints 340785, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    4. Sana Khalil, 2026. "Double Disadvantage: How Gender and Residential Location Shape Hiring Outcomes in Pakistan's IT Sector," Papers 2602.08134, arXiv.org.
    5. Aksoy, Billur & Chadd, Ian & Koh, Boon Han, 2023. "Sexual identity, gender, and anticipated discrimination in prosocial behavior," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Gagnon, Nickolas & Nosenzo, Daniele, 2025. "Discrimination Preferences," EconStor Preprints 323979, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    7. Listo, Ariel & Muñoz, Ercio A. & Sansone, Dario, 2025. "Measuring the Sources of Taste-Based Discrimination Using List Experiments," IZA Discussion Papers 17976, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Boring, Anne & Delfgaauw, Josse, 2024. "Social desirability bias in attitudes towards sexism and DEI policies in the workplace," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 465-482.
    9. Riccardo Ciacci & Dario Sansone, 2023. "The impact of sodomy law repeals on crime," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2519-2548, October.
    10. Aksoy, Billur & Chadd, Ian, 2025. "Competitiveness at the intersection of gender and sexual orientation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    11. Crépon, Bruno & Elsayed, Ahmed & Gazeaud, Jules, 2025. "Unbiased and Accurate: Measuring Sensitive Outcomes Through Ballot-Bag Surveys," IZA Discussion Papers 18072, IZA Network @ LISER.
    12. Anahit Mkrtchyan & Jason Sandvik & Vivi Z. Zhu, 2024. "CEO Activism and Firm Value," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(10), pages 6519-6549, October.
    13. Nickolas Gagnon & Daniele Nosenzo, 2026. "Discrimination Preferences," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 26125, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    14. M. V. Lee Badgett & Christopher S. Carpenter & Maxine J. Lee & Dario Sansone, 2024. "A Review of the Economics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(3), pages 948-994, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • K31 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Labor Law

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