Linkedout? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation*

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Evsyukova, Yulia; Rusche, Felix; Mill, Wladislaw
• 署名单位: University of Mannheim; Leibniz Association; Zentrum fur Europaische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)
• 刊物名称: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-5533
• DOI: 10.1093/qje/qjae035
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 283-334
• 关键词: labor-market; racial-discrimination; black; RACE; GENDER; ECONOMICS; COLORISM; beliefs; lakisha; TIES

摘要

We assess the impact of discrimination on Black individuals' job networks across the United States using a two-stage field experiment with 400+ fictitious LinkedIn profiles. In the first stage, we vary race via AI-generated images only and find that Black profiles' connection requests are 13% less likely to be accepted. Based on users' CVs, we find widespread discrimination across social groups. In the second stage, we exogenously endow Black and white profiles with the same networks and ask connected users for career advice. We find no evidence of direct discrimination in information provision. However, when taking into account differences in the composition and size of networks, Black profiles receive substantially fewer replies. Our findings suggest that gatekeeping is a key driver of Black-white disparities.