Gender Gaps Across the Spectrum of Development: Local Talent and Firm Productivity

Nava Ashraf (), Oriana Bandiera (), Víctor Quintas-Martínez () and Virginia Minni ()
Additional contact information
Nava Ashraf: STICERD and Department of Economics, LSE
Oriana Bandiera: STICERD and Department of Economics, LSE
Víctor Quintas-Martínez: Amazon
Virginia Minni: University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, CEPR, IZA, and J-PAL and NBER

No 2026-124, Working Papers from Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics

Abstract: We ask whether the gendered division of work affects firm productivity across the spectrum of economic development. Personnel records of over 100,000 individuals hired by a global firm that operates in 100 countries reveal that the performance of female employees is higher where women are underrepresented in the candidate pool. This implies productivity gains from hiring more women, but realizing them would require increasing women’s pay relative to men. The findings highlight how unequal gender norms in local labor markets create an equity-efficiency trade-off inside the firm, particularly in low-income countries with conservative gender norms.

JEL-codes: M5 O12 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2026
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