Partnership penalties for working in gender-atypical occupations? Observational and experimental evidence from Germany

Does your job affect your dating prospects—and could these dating penalties contribute to persistent gender inequalities in the labor market? This study examines whether working in a gender-atypical occupation reduces individuals’ chances of finding a different-sex romantic partner and whether people anticipate such disadvantages. Drawing on three complementary studies in Germany—including analyses of nationally representative survey data (Study 1), a dating app field experiment (Study 2), and a choice experiment conducted on a national probability sample (Study 3)—we find the following: Women and men in gender-atypical jobs are less likely to be partnered; having a gender-atypical job causally reduces dating success for moderately attractive individuals; and young, highly educated women anticipate these “occupational partnership penalties.” These results suggest that romantic considerations contribute to gender segregation in the workplace as occupational choices may not just be shaped by wages and interests but also by hidden social costs.