| Abstract: | ABSTRACT : Much of the research on discrimination in the labor force has focused on attainment for different groups, once differences in human capital had been accounted for. Unfortunately, this literature often uses proxies for human capital, like education and training, that may be already biased against certain groups who have limited access to quality developmental experiences. What is missing in this literature is a direct measure of individuals' capability such that the inefficiency of a biased market in allocating human capital to jobs can be more clearly identified. This piece will explore the role of a direct measure of human capital-cognitive ability-as one method to examine discrimination in the workplace. Bias is calculated by evaluating the match between worker ability and occupational complexity across different groups. The author highlights relevant literature on ability, occupational mobility, and occupational match and concludes with some propositions to guide future research. |
