Are all economics graduate cohorts created equal? Gender, job openings, and research productivity

Using life cycle publication data of 9368 economics PhD graduates from 127 U.S. institutions between 1987 and 1996, we compare research productivities of male and female graduates, and how these correlate with macroeconomic conditions prior to starting graduate studies and with availability of academic jobs at the time of graduation. We find that availability of academic jobs is positively correlated with research productivity for both male and female graduates. Unfavorable employment conditions prior to starting graduate education are negatively correlated with female graduates’ research productivity and positively correlated with male graduates’ research productivity.