Discussion paper

DP17676 Which Wage Distributions are Consistent with Statistical Discrimination?

We derive a non-parametric test for statistical discrimination that can be applied to cross-sectional wage data. Specifically, we show that the wage distributions for two groups (with identical observable characteristics) are consistent with a general reduced-form model of statistical discrimination if, and only if, neither wage distribution first-order stochastically dominates the other. Our model allows us to interpret a rejection of this condition as evidence of bias.

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Citation

Deb, R and L Renou (2022), ‘DP17676 Which Wage Distributions are Consistent with Statistical Discrimination?‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 17676. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp17676