Customer Discrimination: Evidence from Israel

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Labor Economics
Year: 2017
Volume: 35
Issue: 4
Pages: 1031 - 1059

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

This paper studies customer discrimination against Arab workers in the Israeli market for labor-intensive services. Relying on surveys, field data, and a natural experiment, we provide evidence consistent with Becker’s customer discrimination model. First, a significant share of Jewish customers prefer to receive labor-intensive services from firms employing Jewish rather than Arab workers; these preferences are most strongly linked to concerns for personal safety. Second, customer preferences affect firms’ hiring decisions. Third, firms employing Arab workers charge significantly lower service prices than those employing only Jewish workers.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/692510
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29