A Woman's Place: State Laborforce Gender Composition and EEOC Sex-based Discrimination Complaints

• In Event: 335 - Section on Organizations, Occupations and Work Paper Sessions. Gender Inequality at Work

Abstract

Gender composition has been a widely assessed factor used to explain differential rates of sex-based discrimination in the workplace. However, no research to date has explored how the gender composition of a state’s workforce may affect sex-based discrimination filings. As the employed population of a state represents both an aggregation of its institutions and the broader environment in which these institutions exist, state-level analysis is needed to resolve this discrepancy. Using a unique dataset compiled from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and United States Census Bureau for the years 2009-2012, we find that the state is indeed an important locus of inquiry with regard to sex discrimination outcomes. Negative binomial analysis of sex-based discrimination filings on the gender composition of each state’s employed population reveals a curvilinear relationship, with the least filings in the most balanced and most male-dominated workforces, net of all controls. Several mechanisms are proposed to explain this finding.

Authors

• Nicole M. Oehmen, University of Iowa

• Sarah K. Harkness, University of Iowa