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Labor Markets, Discrimination and the Academy

Paper Session

Friday, Jan. 4, 2019 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Atlanta Marriott Marquis, M105
Hosted By: National Economic Association & American Society of Hispanic Economists
  • Chair: Omari H. Swinton, Howard University

Labor Market Conditions and Charges of Discrimination: Is There a Link?

Karl David Boulware
,
Wesleyan University
Kenneth N. Kuttner
,
Williams College

Abstract

Is there a relationship between labor market conditions and workplace discrimination? This
paper’s goal is to determine whether the degree of labor market tightness affects the frequency of
claims of discrimination based on race, sex, age, national origin, color, and disability. State level
panel data on enforcement and litigation actions from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, along with disaggregated labor market statistics, allow us to assess the effects of
labor market conditions on discrimination against distinct groups, and how these effects vary
across states and over time. Our findings have implications for how macroeconomic policies
might be used to promote equal opportunity in the labor market.

Student Debt and Labor Market Outcomes

Gerald Eric Daniels Jr.
,
Howard University
Andria Smythe
,
Howard University

Abstract

We study the impact of student debt on various labor market outcomes, namely, labor market income, hourly wages, hours worked, probability of being employed and probability of full-time employment. Using data from the NLSY97 surveys and a difference in difference approach, we find statistically significant differences in labor market outcomes for individuals who received a student loan versus those who received no student loan. Our findings are that the difference in income during versus after college enrollment is 8-9 percent higher for student debt holders when compared to individuals with no student debt. We find evidence that this higher income among student loan holders is due to higher work hours rather than higher wage rates. We also find that the difference in full-time employment during versus after college enrollment is 5 percent higher for student-debt holders when compared to students with no debt.

Hispanics in the Michigan Labor Market

Leonidas Murembya
,
Michigan State University

Abstract

Despite being less educated, Hispanics (particularly men) display the highest employment and labor participation rates in Michigan. Based on Public Use Microdata Series (PUMS) 2015, a cross-sectional micro analysis of the factors impacting the group’s labor status reveals that foreign-born Hispanic males (and Mexicans in particular) have a robust and significant advantage of being employed relative to foreign-born Whites in every scenario considered (age, education, English proficiency, duration of stay since year of entry, and citizenship status). In contrast, there is no significant difference in the probability of being employed between female Hispanics (native or foreign-born; Mexican and Other) and Whites. The industry and occupational dissimilarity analyses show great job distribution differences between foreign-born and native groups, and these differences are higher for Mexicans than for other Hispanic groups (both men and women). The distribution of native Hispanics is similar to that of Whites and Blacks, but dissimilar from Asians across genders.

The Problem of the 21st Century Revisited: Black and Hispanic Faculty and the Economics Color Line

Sue K. Stockly
,
Eastern New Mexico University
Gregory N. Price
,
Morehouse College

Abstract

In his ground-breaking article, “The problem of the 21st century: Economics faculty and the color line,” [The Journal of Socio-Economics, 38 (2009) 331-334] Price used historical evidence of hiring practices by Economics departments in Ph.D. granting institutions, compared to increasing qualifications of black economists to demonstrate underrepresentation in Ph.D. granting institutions “by a factor of two,” (p. 331). He concluded that the results are not due to a “pipeline problem” but rather a “color line.” In this paper, the authors update the census of positions obtained by Black American faculty and include Hispanic American faculty. The process used to identify Hispanic faculty typically starts with looking for Spanish surnames. The next step is to differentiate, to the extent possible, between American citizens or permanent residents who spent considerable time in the U.S. prior to completing their doctorates in economics. The Hispanic faculty included in this analysis come from queries among networks of scholars involved in organizations or research efforts geared to improving participation of Hispanics in the economics profession. In addition, university website searches yield information on reported numbers of Hispanic faculty in departments and faculty rosters that include curriculum vitae with educational background and other indicators of primary country of residence prior to starting doctoral studies. Updating the database also entails identifying new Black American faculty hires. A variety of regression techniques estimate the likelihood that a Black or a Hispanic Ph.D. economist is hired by a Ph.D. granting institution. The expectation is that Black and Hispanic Americans face similarly low probabilities of obtaining faculty positions in economics. An extension to this research is reporting on the proportions of foreign-born and raised faculty of color with positions in economics departments.

Metacognitive Awareness and Academic Performance: A Field Experiment

Angelino Viceisza
,
Spelman College
A. Nayena Blankson
,
Spelman College
Jimmeka Guillory
,
Spelman College
Francesina Jackson
,
Spelman College
Bruce Wade
,
Spelman College

Abstract

This manuscript discusses some of the lessons that our multidisciplinary team (spanning Economics, Education, Psychology, and Sociology) learned from implementing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the impact of metacognitive training on outcomes of Black female college students. Because our data collection is ongoing, the purpose of this manuscript is to describe the collaborative efforts required to make such a project a success and share lessons learned. Future papers will focus on the quantitative findings of the RCTs by looking at the impacts on outcomes such as metacognitive awareness, grade point average, retention, and plans upon graduation.
Discussant(s)
Edouard Wemy
,
Clark University
Delia Furtado
,
University of Connecticut
Susan Pozo
,
Western Michigan University
Patrick Mason
,
Florida State University
Olugbenga Ajilore
,
University of Toledo
JEL Classifications
  • J7 - Labor Discrimination
  • I2 - Education and Research Institutions