Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - High Dimensional Nonstationary Time Series

SFB649DP2017 019

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Non-Work at Work

Daniel S. Hamermesh
Katie R. Genadek
Michael C. Burda

Abstract:
Evidence from the American Time Use Survey 2003-12 suggests the existence of small but
statistically significant racial/ethnic differences in time spent not working at the
workplace. Minorities, especially men, spend a greater fraction of their workdays not
working than do white non-Hispanics. These differences are robust to the inclusion of
large numbers of demographic, industry, occupation, time and geographic controls. They
do not vary by union status, public-private sector attachment, pay method or age; nor do they arise from the effects of equal-employment enforcement or geographic differences in
racial/ethnic representation. The findings imply that measures of the adjusted wage
disadvantages of minority employees are overstated by about 10 percent.

Keywords:
time use, wage discrimination, wage differentials

JEL Classification:
J22, J15, J31