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Career Lesbians. Getting Hired for Not Having Kids?

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  • S. BAERT

Abstract

Using a field experiment, we investigate whether discrimination based on women's sexual orientation differs by age and family constraints. We find weakly significant evidence of discrimination against young heterosexual women because of their potential to have children. This effect is driven by age rather than by motherhood. We do not find any unequal treatment at older ages. This age effect is consistent with our theoretical expectation that, relative to lesbian women, young heterosexual women are penalised for having children more frequently and taking on, on average, more at-home-caring tasks.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Baert, 2013. "Career Lesbians. Getting Hired for Not Having Kids?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 13/842, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
  • Handle: RePEc:rug:rugwps:13/842
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    experiments; labour market discrimination; motherhood; sexual orientation.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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