Hispanics Immigrants on the Fields: Is Discrimination a Barrier to Get Non-Agricultural Jobs?

Abstract

This research presents evidence supporting the existence of differences in treatments received by Hispanics job-seekers on agricultural and non-agricultural labor markets found through an experimental labor market. Hispanics males’ productivity predicted by agricultural employers was higher than the predicted by non-agricultural employers, suggesting that Hispanics males are believed to fit better in agricultural activities. This may imply an invisible barrier preventing Hispanics to access non-agricultural jobs. Employers’ beliefs reactions to a more informative signal related to productivity sent to the labor market were tested. Hispanic job-seekers’ signals did not significantly reduce the gap between agricultural and non-agricultural employers’ beliefs; suggesting that this invisible barrier may also prevent Hispanic males mobility from agricultural to non-agricultural jobs over time, reducing the incentive to invest in costly signals’ improvement (i.e. education, reputation). Results also support the existence of a non-neutral gender barrier, given no differences in treatments where found for female Hispanics.