UiS Working Papers in Economics and Finance,
University of Stavanger

Abstract: We design a novel real-effort experiment to investigate gender differences and stereotypes regarding perseverance and how these affect employment decisions. We find that women are more persistent than men and that the subjects anticipate this difference. While it pays off, in expectation, to hire a female over a male candidate in our experimental employment setting, employers are not more likely to hire a female candidate. Thus, even in a setting where female candidates are statistically better workers and employers hold a positive stereotype about women, employers do not hire women more often than men. This finding contrasts with studies showing that men do benefit from positive stereotypes associated with them, and suggests that stereotypes might be more beneficial for men than for women.

Keywords: non-cognitive skills; perseverance; conscientiousness; gender and stereotypes; labor market experiment

JEL-codes: C91; J16; J71

Language: English

42 pages, December 7, 2021

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