RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Supply Side of Discrimination?
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0522-12320R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.0522-12320R1
A1 Jackson, Osborne
YR 2024
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2024/09/03/jhr.0522-12320R1.abstract
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.