So Far Away? Hiring Discrimination against Female Commuters

We investigate gender-based hiring discrimination related to commuting time using data from a large-scale correspondence test in German-speaking countries (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria). Our analysis reveals a systematic negative effect of commuting distance on callback rates for female job applicants. A 10-kilometer increase in driving distance reduces callback rates for women by 2.2 percentage points, an effect not observed for male applicants. Using information on applicants' family profiles, we find that the presence and age of children do not influence these results. Complementary survey data suggest that statistical discrimination against women is a key factor to explain the experimental results.