Gender Imbalance across Subfields in Economics: When Does It Start?

Abstract

We investigate the marked gender imbalance across subfields in economics and connect it with the relative scarcity of female students enrolling in economics. First, tracking authorship in the American Economic Association annual meetings, we find sharp gender imbalances across areas of research. When does this imbalance start? Using administrative data, we find gender differences in academic performance across subfields emerging as early as the undergraduate level. Finally, survey data reveal students’ gendered preferences that help explain our findings. These gender biases in terms of visibility, performance, and preferences across subfields provide a potentially relevant explanation for the overall gender imbalance in economics.