Working Paper: NBER ID: w29354
Authors: Lisa D. Cook; Janet Gerson; Jennifer Kuan
Abstract: Recent research shows the negative impact of discrimination not only on the targets of discrimination but also on the economy as a whole. Racial and gender inequality can limit the entire economy's productive capacity and innovation outcomes. Using new data from NSF's Survey of Earned Doctorates on the scientific workforce from 1980 to 2019, as well as patenting and commercialization data, we examine racial and gender disparities at each stage of the innovation process—education and training, the practice of invention, and commercialization. While improving along certain dimensions over time, we find persistent racial and gender disparities consistent with the current literature. To reverse the negative effects on productive capacity and long-run economic growth, we also discuss the literature on mitigating discriminatory practices at each juncture, which could have significant distributional effects as access to good jobs expands.
Keywords: innovation; discrimination; economic growth; racial disparities; gender disparities
JEL Codes: O31; O33
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Systemic racism and sexism (J16) | Innovation process (O36) |
| Barriers faced by women and African Americans (J79) | Lower participation in innovation-related jobs (O39) |
| Lower participation in innovation-related jobs (O39) | Limits productive capacity of the economy (D24) |
| Inclusivity in the workforce (J70) | GDP per capita (O49) |
| Discrimination (J71) | Economic inefficiencies (D61) |
| Misallocation of talent due to discrimination (J79) | Economic growth (O49) |
| Gender of lead inventor (J16) | Patenting outcomes (O34) |