This Website has a limited use of cookies. By using this website, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions listed in our data protection policy. Read more

Journal of Population Economics

Unexplored Dimensions of Discrimination in Europe: Homosexuality and Physical Appearance

Journal Article
Reference
Patacchini, Eleonora, Giuseppe Ragusa and Yves Zenou (2015). “Unexplored Dimensions of Discrimination in Europe: Homosexuality and Physical Appearance”. Journal of Population Economics 28(4), 1045–1073. doi.org/10.1007/s00148-014-0533-9

Authors
Eleonora Patacchini, Giuseppe Ragusa, Yves Zenou

We study labor-market discrimination of individuals with “specific” characteristics in Italy. We conduct a field experiment in two Italian cities: Rome and Milan, by sending “fake” CVs to real ads. We find that there is a strong penalty for homosexuals, i.e., about 30 % less chance to be called back compared to a heterosexual male and even more so if they are highly skilled. On the other hand, we find no penalty for homosexual females. We also find a beauty premium for females only but this premium is much lower when the “pretty” woman is skilled.