TY - JOUR
T1 - Before and after
T2 - Gender transitions, human capital, and workplace experiences
AU - Schilt, Kristen
AU - Wiswall, Matthew
N1 - Funding Information:
∗The authors would like to thank Gary Solon and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. We would also like to thank Ruth Milkman and the Institute for Labor and Employment for a grant that made this research possible.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - We use the workplace experiences of transgender people - individuals who change their gender typically with hormone therapy and surgery - to provide new insights into the long-standing question of what role gender plays in shaping workplace outcomes. Using an original survey of male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people, we document the earnings and employment experiences of transgender people before and after their gender transitions. We find that while transgender people have the same human capital after their transitions, their workplace experiences often change radically. We estimate that average earnings for female-to-male transgender workers increase slightly following their gender transitions, while average earnings for male-to-female transgender workers fall by nearly 1/3. This finding is consistent with qualitative evidence that for many male-to-female workers, becoming a woman often brings a loss of authority, harassment, and termination, but that for many female-to-male workers, becoming a man often brings an increase in respect and authority. These findings challenge the omitted variables explanations for the gender pay gap and illustrate the often hidden and subtle processes that produce gender inequality in workplace outcomes.
AB - We use the workplace experiences of transgender people - individuals who change their gender typically with hormone therapy and surgery - to provide new insights into the long-standing question of what role gender plays in shaping workplace outcomes. Using an original survey of male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people, we document the earnings and employment experiences of transgender people before and after their gender transitions. We find that while transgender people have the same human capital after their transitions, their workplace experiences often change radically. We estimate that average earnings for female-to-male transgender workers increase slightly following their gender transitions, while average earnings for male-to-female transgender workers fall by nearly 1/3. This finding is consistent with qualitative evidence that for many male-to-female workers, becoming a woman often brings a loss of authority, harassment, and termination, but that for many female-to-male workers, becoming a man often brings an increase in respect and authority. These findings challenge the omitted variables explanations for the gender pay gap and illustrate the often hidden and subtle processes that produce gender inequality in workplace outcomes.
KW - Gender
KW - Labor market discrimination
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U2 - 10.2202/1935-1682.1862
DO - 10.2202/1935-1682.1862
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:55549095114
SN - 1935-1682
VL - 8
JO - B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy
JF - B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy
IS - 1
M1 - 39
ER -