Gendered language in job ads and applicant behavior: Evidence from India

This study analyzes nearly 158K job ads and 6.45M applications from India to examine how gendered language in job postings affects wages and applicant behavior. About 8% of ads explicitly state a gender preference. Jobs preferring women explicitly or implicitly offer lower wages but attract more female applicants.

The authors find that gendered language explains up to 17% of the gender wage gap in applied-for jobs. Words linked to flexibility, hard skills, or long hours send gendered signals that shape who applies and what they earn. The findings offer actionable insights for designing inclusive job ads.