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Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record

Author

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  • Zoë Cullen
  • Will Dobbie
  • Mitchell Hoffman
Abstract
We experimentally test several approaches to increasing the demand for workers with a criminal record on a nationwide staffing platform by addressing potential downside risk and productivity concerns. The staffing platform asked hiring managers to make a series of hypothetical hiring decisions that affected whether workers with a criminal record could accept their jobs in the future. We find that 39% of businesses in our sample are willing to work with individuals with a criminal record at baseline, which rises to over 50% when businesses are offered crime and safety insurance, a single performance review, or a limited background check covering just the past year. Wage subsidies can achieve similar increases but at a substantially higher cost. Based on our findings, the staffing platform relaxed the criminal background check requirement and offered crime and safety insurance to interested businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Zoë Cullen & Will Dobbie & Mitchell Hoffman, 2023. "Increasing the Demand for Workers with a Criminal Record," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(1), pages 103-150.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:qjecon:v:138:y:2023:i:1:p:103-150.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/qje/qjac029
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    Cited by:

    1. Amanda Agan & Andrew Garin & Dmitri Koustas & Alexandre Mas & Crystal S. Yang, 2024. "The Labor Market Impacts of Reducing Felony Convictions," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 341-358, September.
    2. Kaestner, Robert & Wang, Xufei, 2024. "Ban-the-box laws: Fair and effective?," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).

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