Wenni Yang
Working Papers
​​Marriage bar, Representation, and Selection (with Rebecca Brough)
Abstract: Women’s increased participation in the workforce over the past century was the most significant change in the US labor market. An often cited -- but understudied -- reason for women's increased participation in the labor force was the elimination of a widespread discriminatory policy: the marriage bar. We gathered new data from 1900-1950 to document the prevalence of the marriage bar in the teaching profession - which prohibited married women teachers from working - across US cities. Using Census full-count data from 1880-1940 and a generalized difference-in-differences design around the initial adoption of the marriage bar, we show that the marriage bar decreased the proportion and number of married women teachers by 1.3 and 8.3 percentage points in the following census year (equivalent to 13% and 24% of the control mean). An increase in the representation of single female teachers substitutes this decrease. Additionally, we provide suggestive evidence on lowered retention rates of the teaching population. This paper highlights the cost of discrimination practices in reshaping the occupation and changing workers’ incentives.
Working in Progress
Medical Education Reform and Physician Supply
Publication
Congestion on the Information Superhighway: Does Economics Have a Working Papers Problem? Journal of Public Economics (2023). (with Lester Lusher and Scott Carrell) [NBER Working Paper]
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Abstract: Publishing takes a long time in economics. Consequently, many authors release “working” versions of their papers. Using data on the NBER working paper series, we show that the dissemination of economics research suffers from an overcrowding problem: An increase in the number of weekly released working papers on average reduces downloads, abstract views, and media attention for each paper. Subsequent publishing and citation outcomes are harmed as well. Furthermore, descriptive evidence on viewership and downloads suggests working papers significantly substitute for the dissemination function of publication. These results highlight inefficiencies in the dissemination of economic research even among the most exclusive working paper series and suggest large social losses due to the slow publication process.
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