Local labor markets and taste-based discrimination

Abstract This article appeals to heterogeneity in workers’ non-wage preferences to model taste-based discrimination. Firms hire both types of workers and pay lower wages to minority workers, whatever their taste for discrimination. A single prejudiced firm in the market produces a substantial wage g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Clémence Berson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2016-04-01
Series:IZA Journal of Labor Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40172-016-0045-9
Description
Summary:Abstract This article appeals to heterogeneity in workers’ non-wage preferences to model taste-based discrimination. Firms hire both types of workers and pay lower wages to minority workers, whatever their taste for discrimination. A single prejudiced firm in the market produces a substantial wage gap in all firms. Consequently, discrimination allows unprejudiced firms to make non-zero profits, so that they have little incentive to drive out prejudiced firms. As the market does not eliminate discrimination, state intervention is required. Indirect policies do not affect the absolute wage gap between the two groups, but may be more likely to be used than direct policies.
ISSN:2193-8997