Sex Discrimination in Restaurant Hiring: An Audit Study

35 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2000 Last revised: 25 Sep 2022

See all articles by David Neumark

David Neumark

University of California, Irvine - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Roy J. Bank

Eastern Mortgage Services, Inc.

Kyle D. Van Nort

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: February 1995

Abstract

This paper reports on a small-scale audit study that investigates sex discrimination in restaurant hiring. Comparably matched pairs of men and women applied for jobs as waiters and waitresses at 65 restaurants in Philadelphia. The 130 applications led to 54 interviews and 39 job offers. The results provide statistically significant evidence of sex discrimination against women in high-price restaurants. In high-price restaurants, job applications from women had an estimated probability of receiving a job offer that was lower by about .5, and an estimated probability of receiving an interview that was lower by about .4. These hiring patterns appear to have implications for sex differences in earnings, as informal survey evidence indicates that earnings are higher in high-price restaurants.

Suggested Citation

Neumark, David and Bank, Roy J. and Van Nort, Kyle D., Sex Discrimination in Restaurant Hiring: An Audit Study (February 1995). NBER Working Paper No. w5024, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=225803

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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Roy J. Bank

Eastern Mortgage Services, Inc.

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United States

Kyle D. Van Nort

affiliation not provided to SSRN