Gender Differences in Fields of Specialization and Placement Outcomes among PhDs in Economics

摘要

Many of the factors that work against women climbing up the economics ladder's higher echelons find an echo in the economics profession. Here we find that women's fields of specialization have substantial explanatory power for most placement outcomes, with the exception of positions at top-50 research institutions.Women appear crowded in more traditional female fields, which have lower employment prospects. Women are underrepresented in fields such as macroeconomics, monetary economics, and finance, which have better employment prospects because of more positions outside of academia. Yet, as in the case of the negotiating divide, where it is not always fruitful to push women to mimic male behaviors, it may not be advisable to encourage women to enter these male fields if the climate is less hospitable, as reported in the AEA Climate Survey. On the other hand, aiming for a higher representation of women in top PhD programs would reduce the gender gap in placement outcomes of PhDs in economics.