Discussion paper

DP9179 Unexplored Dimensions of Discrimination in Europe: Homosexuality and Physical Appearance

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 an 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.

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Citation

Zenou, Y, E Patacchini and G Ragusa (2012), ‘DP9179 Unexplored Dimensions of Discrimination in Europe: Homosexuality and Physical Appearance‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 9179. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp9179

Young black woman working on an aircraft engine during World War 2
US Office of War Information
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How large-scale wars do (or don’t) affect the labour market for underrepresented groups

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  • Gender
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