LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation

Yulia Evsyukova, Felix Rusche and Wladislaw Mill

No 11433, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: We assess the impact of discrimination on Black individuals’ job networks across the U.S. using a two-stage field experiment with 400+ fictitious LinkedIn profiles. In the first stage, we vary race via AI-generated images only and find that Black profiles’ connection requests are 13 percent less likely to be accepted. Based on users’ CVs, we find widespread discrimination across social groups. In the second stage, we exogenously endow Black and White profiles with the same networks and ask connected users for career advice. We find no evidence of direct discrimination in information provision. However, when taking into account differences in the composition and size of networks, Black profiles receive substantially fewer replies. Our findings suggest that gatekeeping is a key driver of Black-White disparities.

Keywords: discrimination; job networks; labor markets; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D85 J15 J46 J71 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-hrm, nep-lma, nep-mac, nep-net, nep-soc and nep-ure
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https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp11433.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation* (2025)
Working Paper: LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation (2024)
Working Paper: Linked out? A field experiment on discrimination in job network formation (2024)
Working Paper: LinkedOut? A Field Experiment on Discrimination in Job Network Formation (2023)
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