Good on Paper The Great Political Sorting of American Offices
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Feb 11, 2025 Sahil Chinoy, a Harvard economics PhD and co-author of the influential paper on political sorting in the U.S. labor market, discusses the surprising political segregation in workplaces. He reveals how education and industry characteristics shape this phenomenon and examines the trade-offs workers make for ideological alignment. The conversation also touches on how partisan language in job ads targets specific political ideologies and the impact of workplace dynamics on political activism, particularly among different generations.
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Political Segregation at Work
- Workplaces are politically segregated, with coworkers 10% more likely to share your party than expected.
- This is driven by self-sorting into majors, jobs, industries, and companies aligned with partisan identities.
Initial Assumptions about Workplace Politics
- Sahil Chinoy initially assumed workplaces were less politically segregated than neighborhoods or schools.
- He believed the idea of "no politics at work" might foster more diverse environments.
Methodology of the Study
- The study combined LinkedIn profiles with voter records to analyze political segregation.
- This approach allowed researchers to see coworker relationships and party affiliations.