PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jackson, Osborne
TI  - The Supply Side of Discrimination?
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0522-12320R1
DP  - 2024 Sep 11
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 0522-12320R1
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2024/09/03/jhr.0522-12320R1.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2024/09/03/jhr.0522-12320R1.full
AB  - This paper investigates the possibility of supply-side discrimination in the labor market for Boston taxi drivers. Using data on millions of trips from 2010–2015, I explore whether the labor supply behavior of taxi drivers differs by the gender, racial/ethnic, or age composition of Boston neighborhoods. I find that disparities in shift hours due to neighborhood demographics exist even when differences in local earnings opportunities are considered. I observe heterogeneity in driver behavior and find suggestive evidence of discrimination that is primarily statistical rather than taste-based. As drivers gain experience and learn to better anticipate wage variation, potential discrimination decreases.