Leaving Work, Leaving Home: Job Loss and Socio-Geographic Mobility in Canada

Poster Presentation The recent economic downturn magnified a routine occurrence in the Canadian labor market: involuntary job loss resulting from an employer downsizing, moving, or going out of business. Yet, in recent decades, even in times of economic expansion, rates of involuntary job loss have persisted across a wide-range of demographic and labor market groups. Moving is one way individuals may respond to job loss, either to relocate to cheaper housing or in search of work. Drawing on data from the 1996-2010 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, this article examines the relationship between involuntary job loss and geographic mobility in Canada, and further provides evidence on the types of neighborhoods to which individuals move. I find that involuntary job loss is associated with short- and long-distance mobility and increased risk of selection into materially deprived neighborhoods. Together, the findings establish job loss as both a key life course transition motivating residential mobility and long-distance migration in Canada, and as a trigger event that initiates entry into high deprivation areas

There’s a wage hierarchy based on sexual orientation

Lesbians earn more than straight women (but less than all men), write Sean Waite and Nicole Denie

How your sexual orientation can affect how much you earn

Despite recent strides toward equality, labor markets are often stratified on gender and racial grounds. Using Canadian Census data, Sean Waite and Nicole Denier find that these wage gaps extend to sexual minorities; even when employed in lucrative occupations, gay men and lesbians earn significantly less than straight men. They also find that while straight women’s pay is penalised, the presence of children and marriage have no effect on the earnings of either gay men or lesbians in conjugal relationships

Sexual Orientation Identity Mobility in the United Kingdom:A Research Note

Sexual identity is fluid. But just how fluid is it? How does such fluidity vary across demographic groups? How do mainstream measures fare in capturing the fluidity? Analyzing data from the United Kingdom (UK) Household Longitudinal Study (N = 22,673 individuals, each observed twice), this research note provides new population-wide evidence of sexual identity mobility—change and continuity in individuals’ sexual orientation identification—in the UK. Overall, 6.6% of the respondents changed their sexual identity reports between 2013 and 2019. Sexual identity mobility follows a convex pattern over the life course, with higher mobility rates at the two ends than in the middle of the age spectrum. Sexual identity mobility is more prevalent among women, ethnic minority individuals, and the less educated. Changes in people’s self-reported sexual identity are closely associated with changes in their partnership status and partner’s sex. However, inferring individuals’ sexual identity from their partner’s sex substantially underestimates the degree of sexual fluidity compared with people’s self-reported sexual identity. Our new evidence encourages researchers and data collectors to fully examine sexual identity mobility and consider its implications for measuring sexual identity

Gendered STEM Workforce in the United Kingdom:The Role of Gender Bias in Job Advertising

Evidence submitted to the ‘Diversity in STEM’ Inquiry, Science and Technology Committee, House of Commons, UK Parliamen

Gendered STEM Workforce in the United Kingdom: The Role of Gender Bias in Job Advertising

Evidence submitted to the ‘Diversity in STEM’ Inquiry, Science and Technology Committee, House of Commons, UK Parliamen

Balancing Gender Bias in Job Advertisements with Text-Level Bias Mitigation

Despite progress towards gender equality in the labor market over the past few decades, gender segregation in labor force composition and labor market outcomes persists. Evidence has shown that job advertisements may express gender preferences, which may selectively attract potential job candidates to apply for a given post and thus reinforce gendered labor force composition and outcomes. Removing gender-explicit words from job advertisements does not fully solve the problem as certain implicit traits are more closely associated with men, such as ambitiousness, while others are more closely associated with women, such as considerateness. However, it is not always possible to find neutral alternatives for these traits, making it hard to search for candidates with desired characteristics without entailing gender discrimination. Existing algorithms mainly focus on the detection of the presence of gender biases in job advertisements without providing a solution to how the text should be (re)worded. To address this problem, we propose an algorithm that evaluates gender bias in the input text and provides guidance on how the text should be debiased by offering alternative wording that is closely related to the original input. Our proposed method promises broad application in the human resources process, ranging from the development of job advertisements to algorithm-assisted screening of job applications

Balancing Gender Bias in Job Advertisements With Text-Level Bias Mitigation

Despite progress toward gender equality in the labor market over the past few decades, gender segregation in labor force composition and labor market outcomes persists. Evidence has shown that job advertisements may express gender preferences, which may selectively attract potential job candidates to apply for a given post and thus reinforce gendered labor force composition and outcomes. Removing gender-explicit words from job advertisements does not fully solve the problem as certain implicit traits are more closely associated with men, such as ambitiousness, while others are more closely associated with women, such as considerateness. However, it is not always possible to find neutral alternatives for these traits, making it hard to search for candidates with desired characteristics without entailing gender discrimination. Existing algorithms mainly focus on the detection of the presence of gender biases in job advertisements without providing a solution to how the text should be (re)worded. To address this problem, we propose an algorithm that evaluates gender bias in the input text and provides guidance on how the text should be debiased by offering alternative wording that is closely related to the original input. Our proposed method promises broad application in the human resources process, ranging from the development of job advertisements to algorithm-assisted screening of job applications

Balancing Gender Bias in Job Advertisements with Text-Level Bias Mitigation

Despite progress toward gender equality in the labor market over the past few decades, gender segregation in labor force composition and labor market outcomes persists. Evidence has shown that job advertisements may express gender preferences, which may selectively attract potential job candidates to apply for a given post and thus reinforce gendered labor force composition and outcomes. Removing gender-explicit words from job advertisements does not fully solve the problem as certain implicit traits are more closely associated with men, such as ambitiousness, while others are more closely associated with women, such as considerateness. However, it is not always possible to find neutral alternatives for these traits, making it hard to search for candidates with desired characteristics without entailing gender discrimination. Existing algorithms mainly focus on the detection of the presence of gender biases in job advertisements without providing a solution to how the text should be (re)worded. To address this problem, we propose an algorithm that evaluates gender bias in the input text and provides guidance on how the text should be debiased by offering alternative wording that is closely related to the original input. Our proposed method promises broad application in the human resources process, ranging from the development of job advertisements to algorithm-assisted screening of job applications

Sexual Orientation Wage Gaps across Local Labour Market Contexts: Evidence from Canada

Mounting evidence suggests that sexual orientation matters in the labour market. Research in Canada points to a wage hierarchy not only by gender, but also by sexual orientation, with heterosexual men out-earning gay men, lesbians, and heterosexual women. While previous work has considered how human capital characteristics, occupation and industry of employment, and family status factor into the creation of these earnings disparities, little research has examined how residential concentration in large metropolitan areas factors into the creation of sexual orientation pay gaps.Drawing on the 2006 Census of Canada, this study investigates how sexual orientation wage gaps vary across geographic areas in Canada, documenting earnings disparities across the metropolitan/non-metropolitan divide as well as for Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. We also evaluate whether the mechanisms contributing to wage gaps diverge across these contexts, focusing on how pay gaps differ across occupations, points in the earnings distribution, and sectors of employment.Our results show that pay gaps are highest in non-metropolitan Canada. The underlying components of wage gaps fluctuate across Canada, especially for gay men. Sexual orientation earnings penalties are reduced in public sector employment, even where private sector wage gaps are highest. These results suggest that local social and labour market contexts are associated with the earnings outcomes of sexual minorities.Les données récentes suggèrent que l’orientation sexuelle joue un rôle important sur le marché du travail. La recherche au Canada a mis lumière une hiérarchie salariale, non seulement selon le genre, mais également selon l’orientation sexuelle : en effet, les hommes hétérosexuels gagnent davantage que les hommes homosexuels et les femmes homosexuelles, ainsi que les femmes hétérosexuelles. Alors que les recherches habituelles ont mis l’accent sur la manière dont les attributs en capital humain, la profession exercée et l’industrie d’emploi, de même que le statut familial influaient sur la création de telles inégalités, jusqu’à ce jour, peu d’attention a été consacrée au rôle que peut jouer la concentration résidentielle dans les grands ensembles métropolitains sur la création de disparités salariales liées à l’orientation sexuelle.Utilisant les données en provenance du Recensement du Canada de 2006, la présente étude examine comment les disparités salariales en vertu de l’orientation sexuelle varient selon les différentes régions géographiques canadiennes (métropolitaines et non métropolitaines), de même que pour Toronto, Montréal et Vancouver. Nous cherchons également à savoir si les mécanismes qui contribuent aux disparités salariales observées diffèrent selon le type de divisions géographiques, en mettant l’accent sur des facteurs tels la profession occupée, la position dans les échelles salariales et le secteur d’emploi.Nos résultats indiquent que les disparités salariales sont plus élevées dans les régions canadiennes non métropolitaines. Les composantes sous-jacentes des disparités salariales fluctuent particulièrement dans le cas des hommes homosexuels. Toutefois, on observe des écarts défavorables liés à l’orientation sexuelle moindres dans le secteur public, cela même lorsqu’elles s’avèrent élevées dans le secteur privé d’une même division géographique. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’environnement social local et le contexte du marché du travail sont associés aux gains de travail des minorités sexuelles.Estudios recientes sugieren que la orientación sexual juega un rol importante en el mercado laboral. Investigaciones en Canadá han mostrado la existencia de una jerarquía salarial, no solo con respecto al género sino también según la orientación sexual. En efecto, los hombres heterosexuales ganan más que los hombres homosexuales, las lesbianas, y las mujeres heterosexuales. Trabajos anteriores han puesto en evidencia el modo en que factores tales como las características del capital humano, la profesión, la rama de ocupación y la situación familiar influyen en la creación de tales desigualdades. Sin embargo, hasta hoy en día, se ha prestado poca atención a como la concentración residencial en grandes áreas metropolitanas contribuye a la creación de disparidades salariales vinculadas a la orientación sexual.Utilizando los datos del Censo de Canadá de 2006, este estudio examina como las disparidades salariales según la orientación sexual varían entre las regiones metropolitanas y no metropolitanas, así como también para el caso de Toronto, Montreal y Vancouver. El articulo también evalúa si los mecanismos que contribuyen a las disparidades salariales observadas difieren según el tipo de divisiones geográficas, poniendo énfasis en factores tales como profesión, posición en las escalas salariales y sector de empleo.Nuestros resultados indican que las disparidades salariales son más elevadas en las regiones canadienses no metropolitanas. Los componentes subyacentes de las disparidades salariales fluctúan particularmente en el caso de los hombres homosexuales. Los efectos negativos de la orientación sexual sobre el salario son menores en el sector público, aun allí donde las diferencias en el sector privado son las más grandes. Estos resultados sugieren que los contextos sociales y laborales a nivel local están asociados con los beneficios de remuneración de las minorías sexuales