Unconscious bias ‘blights female economists’ career prospects’

Bank of Italy study examines impact of referral letters for male and female job candidates

Gender imbalance

Female economics graduates’ careers are badly affected by unconscious sexism from their own academic supervisors, a working paper from the Bank of Italy suggests.

Male academics are more likely to use gendered terms when writing letters of referral for both male and female graduates applying for positions as economists, the research finds. Recruiters are likely to perceive the terms referees use to describe male applicants as positive, but those used to describe women as negative. 

The research

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