Beverly Hirtle

Nov 14, 2024 | richmondfed.org | Beverly Hirtle |Anna Kovner

Letters of recommendation from faculty advisors play a critical role in the job market for Ph.D. economists. At their best, they can convey important qualitative information about a candidate, including the candidate's potential to generate impactful research. But at their worst, these letters offer a subjective view of the candidate that can be susceptible to conscious or unconscious bias.

Oct 9, 2024 | richmondfed.org | Beverly Hirtle |Anna Kovner

October 2024, No. 24-11 Demographic Differences in Letters of Recommendation for Economics Ph.D. Students Download paper We analyze 6,400 letters of recommendation for more than 2,200 economics and finance Ph.D. graduates from 2018 to 2021. Letter text varies significantly by field of interest, with significantly less positive and shorter letters for Macroeconomics and Finance candidates.