This article investigates gender differences in the job search process in the field and lab. Our analysis is based on rich information on initial job offers and acceptances from undergraduates of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. We find (i) a clear gender difference in the timing of job offer acceptance, with women accepting jobs substantially earlier than men, and (ii) a sizable gender earnings gap in accepted offers, which narrows in favor of women over the course of the job search period. To understand these patterns, we develop a job search model that incorporates gender differences in risk aversion and overoptimism about prospective offers. We validate the model’s assumptions and predictions using the survey data and present empirical evidence that the job search patterns in the field can be partly explained by the greater risk aversion displayed by women and the higher levels of overoptimism displayed by men. We replicate these findings in a laboratory experiment that features sequential job search and provide direct evidence on the purported mechanisms. Our findings highlight the importance of risk preferences and beliefs for gender differences in job-finding behavior and, consequently, early-career wage gaps among the highly educated.

中文翻译：

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求职中的性别差异和收入差距：来自实地和实验室的证据

本文调查了现场和实验室求职过程中的性别差异。我们的分析基于波士顿大学 Questrom 商学院本科生的初始工作机会和录取的丰富信息。我们发现 (i) 在接受工作机会的时间上存在明显的性别差异，女性比男性更早接受工作，以及 (ii) 在接受工作机会时存在相当大的性别收入差距，在求职期。为了解这些模式，我们开发了一个求职模型，该模型将性别差异纳入风险规避和对预期工作的过度乐观。我们使用调查数据验证模型的假设和预测，并提供实证证据表明该领域的求职模式可以部分用女性表现出的更大的风险厌恶和男性表现出的更高水平的过度乐观来解释。我们在以顺序求职为特征的实验室实验中复制了这些发现，并为所谓的机制提供了直接证据。我们的研究结果强调了风险偏好和信念对求职行为中性别差异的重要性，以及因此对受过高等教育的人的早期职业工资差距的重要性。