Getting Grey Hairs in the Labour Market: An Alternative Experiment on Age Discrimination

Stijn Baert, Jennifer Norga (), Yannick Thuy () and Marieke Van Hecke ()
Additional contact information
Jennifer Norga: Ghent University
Yannick Thuy: Ghent University
Marieke Van Hecke: Ghent University

No 9289, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This study presents a new field experimental approach for measuring age discrimination in hiring. In addition to the classical approach in which candidates' ages are randomly assigned within pairs of fictitious resumes that are sent to real vacancies, we randomly assign activities undertaken by the older candidates during their additional life years between these pairs. When applying this design to the Belgium case, we find that age discrimination is fundamentally heterogeneous by older candidates' career pattern. Older age affects call-back only (negatively) in case older candidates were inactive or employed in an out-of-field job during their additional post-educational years.

Keywords: age discrimination; design of experiments; ageing; difference in post-educational years problem; hiring discrimination; field experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C90 C93 J14 J71 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2015-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-ger and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published - revised version published in: Journal of Economic Psychology , 2016, 57, 86 - 101

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Journal Article: Getting grey hairs in the labour market. An alternative experiment on age discrimination (2016)
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