Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP5366
Authors: Mohamed Jellal; Yves Zenou
Abstract: The paper mainly addresses three questions: 1) do workers tend to be employed by employers of the same ethnic group; 2) what is the structure of the equilibrium wage contract; and 3) do more ethnically homogeneous labour markets tend to have different labour contracts than more ethnically diversified ones. The answer to the first question is in the affirmative - in equilibrium all employers offer the same wage contract and workers are hired by employers of the closest ethnic affiliation. In terms of the equilibrium wage contract, its nature depends on the attitude towards risk of both sides of the market. Finally, the answer to the third question is also in the affirmative since the more homogenous the labour market, the more deterministic is the wage.
Keywords: ethnicity; piece rates; sharecropping
JEL Codes: D43; J33; O12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ethnic background (J15) | Employment patterns (J63) |
| Ethnic similarity (J15) | Employment patterns (J63) |
| Risk aversion (D81) | Structure of wage contracts (J31) |
| Ethnic homogeneity (J15) | Stability of wage contracts (J41) |
| Higher ethnic costs (J15) | Wage structures (J31) |