Collective Agreements and Equal Opportunities for Women and Minorities *

This chapter researches the impact of collective agreements on female management and job opportunities of employees from disadvantaged groups (e.g. migrants, people with disabilities, long-term unemployed). We find that collective agreements stimulate the female presence in board and executive positions, and the inflow of employees from disadvantaged groups. Moreover, female management further enforces job opportunities of disadvantaged workers. Countries with high coverage of collective agreements therefore, directly as well as indirectly, through female management foster integration of employees from disadvantaged groups into the labour market.