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  3. American Economic Review
  4. May 2017
  5. Moving to Job Opportunities? The Effect of "Ban the Box" on the Composition of Cities

Moving to Job Opportunities? The Effect of "Ban the Box" on the Composition of Cities

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Abstract

Jurisdictions across the United States have adopted "ban the box" (BTB) policies preventing employers from conducting criminal background checks until late in the job application process. Their primary goal is to increase employment for those with criminal records. If individuals with criminal records view these policies as improving their labor market opportunities, they might move to BTB-adopting places in search of employment. In this paper, we consider BTB's effects on the demographic composition of labor markets and the likelihood that residents report recently moving from other labor markets. We find no evidence that BTB affects migration.

Citation

Doleac, Jennifer L., and Benjamin Hansen. 2017. "Moving to Job Opportunities? The Effect of "Ban the Box" on the Composition of Cities." American Economic Review, 107 (5): 556-59. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20171002

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • J23 Labor Demand
  • K31 Labor Law
  • K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law