Social Norms and Gender Discrimination in the Labor Market: An Agent-Based Exercise
Social Norms and Gender Discrimination in the Labor Market: An Agent-Based Exercise

Summary/Abstract: The incorporation of women into the labor market remains a challenge for most countries; likewise, gender gaps are observed in indicators such as employment, unemployment, and participation. In this paper, we study the role of social norms in labor market performance by gender, that is, how gender gaps arise from conservative gender roles. To this end, we construct an agent-based model where discrimination appears when information on job vacancies is transmitted within social networks with preference to a given gender. Networks are defined by size, closeness, and links per family. Our results show that social networks enhance the chance of securing a job. Discrimination deepens gender gaps. Discrimination does not favor the employment situation of households, since the share of non-income households (both members unemployed) is not reduced. Rather, discrimination reduces the number of 2-income households in favor of single-income households where only the man is employed.

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