Does Identity Affect Labor Supply?

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2023
Volume: 113
Issue: 8
Pages: 2055-83

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

How does identity influence economic behavior in the labor market? I investigate this question in rural India, focusing on the effect of caste identity on job-specific labor supply. In a field experiment, laborers choose whether to take up various job offers, which differ in associations with specific castes. Workers are less willing to accept offers that are linked to castes other than their own, especially when those castes rank lower in the social hierarchy. Workers forgo large payments to avoid job offers that conflict with their caste identity, even when these decisions are made in private.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:113:y:2023:i:8:p:2055-83
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-26