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  5. Marginalized Communities Vs. Work Considerations
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Marginalized Communities Vs. Work Considerations

Paper Session

Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (EST)

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Room 405
Hosted By: Labor and Employment Relations Association
  • Chair: Joelle Saad-Lessler, Stevens Institute of Technology

The Impact of Work From Home on Disability Employment and Productivity

Octavio Aguilar
,
Federal Reserve Board

Abstract

Since the pandemic, the supply of workers with disabilities has risen substantially, a trend largely attributed to the expansion of remote work opportunities. This paper examines how the rise in work from home (WFH) among workers with disabilities has affected productivity. Leveraging plausibly exogenous industry-level variation in WFH, I show that a one standard deviation (4pp) increase in disability WFH is associated with consistent declines in labor productivity between 2021 and 2023. Additionally, I document that, post-pandemic, employment for workers with disabilities increased at the smallest and largest firms, but declined at mid-sized firms, likely reflecting the greater capacity of the former to offer flexible work arrangements.

Who Benefits from Racial Inequality? Evidence from Workers' Outside Options

Michael Reich
,
University of California-Berkeley

Abstract

I examine the actual outside options of U.S. workers and provide the first estimates of their beliefs about their outside options. To estimate beliefs, I draw from responses to alternative vignettes in the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making (SHED). Limits on outside options-- and beliefs about them-- suggest greater labor market frictions than found in previous U.S. studies. Outside options are lower among workers with less education, workers in low-income households, and black, Hispanic and immigrant workers, but not among female workers. Using a model of imperfect labor market competition, I show that lower options for some workers reduce wages among all workers, notably including among non-Hispanic white workers. These wage markdowns below marginal product levels imply higher employers’ profits. Frictions in labor markets thus can rationalize the persistence of racial wage inequality in a market economy.

Gender, Race, and Online Platform Work in the U.S.: An Intersectional Analysis

Rachel Marie Brooks Atkins
,
St. John's University
Quentin Brummet
,
NORC University of Chicago
Katie Johnson
,
NORC University of Chicago

Abstract

This study uses data from the Entrepreneurship in the Population Survey (EPOP) to measure the prevalence, earnings, and motivations for online platform work by race, gender, and their intersection. Though online platform work represents an important segment of the labor market, prior studies often fail to adequately capture its demographic nuances. Our analysis reveals gender and racial disparities in prevalence of online platform work. Earnings data show significant disparities, with women and racial minorities disproportionately concentrated in lower income categories. White men dominate higher earning brackets. Motivations for platform work also vary. Women frequently cite flexibility and a desire to supplement pay. Black workers pursue platform work for their primary source of income and to fulfill their entrepreneurial ambitions, while Hispanic workers emphasize career transitions and autonomy. This analysis also investigates the intersectional nature of labor market participation in the gig economy and suggest that the structural inequalities of traditional employment are mirrored, and in some cases amplified, in online platform work. Policymakers and researchers must address these disparities to ensure equity in the evolving digital labor market.

Discussant(s)
Ian Burn
,
University of Liverpool
Jeehoon Han
,
Baylor University
Shoshana Grossbard
,
San Diego State University
JEL Classifications
  • J0 - General