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Preview of the 27th Xi Xian Academic Luncheon: Qian Yiwei: Does Greater Flexibility of Online Labor Markets Encourage Female Participation?
publish date:2023-05-08 publisher:李玥彤

Topic: Does Greater Flexibility of Online Labor Markets Encourage Female Participation? Evidence from an Online Freelancing Platform.

Abstract:Do women value flexible jobs that allow the freedom to choose the time of the work more than men?We conduct an online experiment on a major international freelancing labour market plat- form to study the impact ofgreater flexibility in choosing work hours within a day on female participation.We post identical job advertisements that differ only in flexibility and the fee offered.Comparing application numbers across these jobswe find that though both men and women prefer flexibility,the elasticity ofresponse for women is twice as large as men.Flexible jobs lead to a 24 percent rise in number of female applications and a 12 percent rise for men. Women are also less willing to give up flexibility for a higher wage.Our findings has important implications in explaining gender differences in labour market outcomes and for firms interested in attracting more women employees.

Speaker Profile: Qian Yiwei

Dr. Qian is currently working at the Graduate School of Economics and Management, Southwest University of Finance and Economics. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a PhD in Economics in 2021 and is a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions and Stanford University Graduate School of Business from 2021-2022. His research interests include development economics and labour economics.His research focuses on human capital issues in low- and middle-income settings, particularly in rural China, and related econometric issues in policy evaluation. He has been involved in a series of randomised controlled trials on effective interventions for early infants and young children in rural China.

Time: Thursday, 11th May 2023, 11:00 - 12:30

Moderator: Li Shanshan

IIDPF Full-time Researcher

Venue: Conference Room 119, Wenqin Building