Job Market Signaling through Occupational Licensing
研究利用禁止有犯罪记录者从业的职业许可新数据，检验黑人与白人男性工资差距是否源于信息不对称，发现职业许可在难以推断犯罪史的情境下缩小了种族工资差距。
Abstract Among men, the Black-White wage gap is as large today as it was in 1950. We test whether this gap is due to asymmetric information using newly collected data on occupational licensing laws that ban workers with criminal records. We find evidence supporting this hypothesis. The licensing premiums for Black men are largest in licensed occupations that restrict felons, particularly in states with banthe-box laws and at small businesses. In these contexts where a worker’s criminal history is difficult to infer, we find that occupational licensing reduces asymmetric information and reduces the racial wage gap.