%0 Report
        %A Bahal, Girish
%A Feld, Jan
%A Shrivastava, Anand
        %T Preferences, Discrimination, and Occupational Segregation
        %D 2026
        %8 2026 Jul
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 18843
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp18843
        %X Preferences and discrimination are often treated as competing explanations for occupational segregation. This framing misses an important feedback. Preference-based sorting changes the sex composition of occupations; composition changes expected discrimination; and expected discrimination changes sorting. We formalize this mechanism through a general model, where occupations differ in flexibility and workers face more discrimination when their sex is underrepresented. We show two results. First, discrimination amplifies segregation caused by preferences. Second, preferences and discrimination are negatively correlated across occupations. We use the model to study anti-discrimination policies, preference-equalizing policies, and policies that make high-wage occupations more flexible.
        %K labor market segregation
%K preferences
%K discrimination
%K sex
%K gender