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Experimental Evidence of Discrimination in the Hiring of First- and Second-Generation Immigrants
Abstract
Previous field experiments that study ethnic discrimination in the labour market are extended in this paper, which outlines a study comparing discrimination of first- and second-generation immigrants. Qualitatively identical resumes, belonging to first- and second-generation immigrants from the Middle East, were sent to employers in Sweden that had advertised for labour. The findings suggest, somewhat unexpectedly, that first- and second-generation immigrants have essentially the same probability of being invited to a job interview, which in turn is significantly lower than the probability of invitation to interview for natives. Copyright 2010 CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
... The G2 faces several barriers--e.g. hiring discrimination (Carlsson, 2010) and residential/school segregation (Hermansen et al., 2022;McAvay, 2018)-that make adequate education-occupation linkage challenging (Kracke & Klug, 2021;Rafferty, 2020). Importantly, these barriers are not equally distributed among G2 groups (Portes & Zhou, 1993;Zhou & Gonzales, 2019) and are likely to extend to their descendants, contributing to persistent ethnic stratification in occupational returns to education in the host society. ...
... It is reasonable to expect a heterogenous effect of discrimination on overqualification by ancestral origin because labour market discrimination is associated with visible characteristics, which are often associated with one's ethnicity (Hersch, 2011), and perceived social and cultural distances between the majority population and migrants with different ancestry (Polek et al., 2010). For example, in the Swedish context, a G2 individual of non-Western origin is more prone to labour market discrimination than a G2 individual of Nordic or Western European origin (Carlsson, 2010). ...
Research on the children of immigrants born in the host country (G2) consistently reveals disparities between their educational achievements and labour market outcomes compared to the majority population. This study provides new insights into understanding this disparity by examining patterns of overqualification—i.e., a downward educational mismatch—among the G2. Specifically, it explores 1) how overqualification patterns differ between the G2, foreign-born immigrants (G1), and the majority population and 2) how overqualification patterns vary across ten G2 ancestry groups compared to the majority population. Utilizing Swedish total population register data and linear probability models, this study estimates the probability of overqualification across different immigrant generations and ancestry groups, employing the Realised Matches method to measure overqualification. The results indicate that while G2 individuals have a lower probability of experiencing overqualification compared to G1, they face moderately higher probabilities of overqualification than the majority population—up to 19% higher. This disparity is particularly pronounced among G2 individuals with tertiary education and those of Iranian, Middle Eastern and North African, and Other Non-Western origins, with up to 39% higher probabilities. These findings suggest that G2 individuals, particularly those of non-Western origins, encounter significant challenges in translating their educational qualifications into commensurate employment within the Swedish labour market.
... In this paper, we refer to this reasoning as a logic of deservingness. Importantly however, parallel with this deservingness logic, researchers argue that the access to the Swedish labor market is both highly racialized and gendered, disfavoring non-whites, non-Europeans, and women (Agerström et al., 2012;Arai and Vilhelmsson, 2001;Bursell, 2014;Carlsson, 2010;Carlsson and Eriksson, 2014;Kofman, 2018;Mulinari, 2024;Wolgast et al., 2018). ...
... In 2020, Swedish-born persons were almost 25 percentage points above non-European-born residents in employment rate (Swedish Public Health Agency, 2023). Moreover, structural racism in the Swedish labor market has been well-documented (Agerström et al., 2012;Arai and Vilhelmsson, 2001;Bursell, 2014;Carlsson, 2010;Wolgast et al., 2018). As emphasized by Mulinari (2021Mulinari ( , 2024, the situation for racialized women such as Rachel seeking employment in Sweden is particularly challenging. ...
European immigration policy is increasingly selective and stratified, favoring immigrants considered productive in the eyes of society. Using the case of Swedish family reunification, this article investigates how ideas of deservingness underlie this selection process and how it intersects with temporal bordering, impacting hierarchies of transnational mobility. Through qualitative interviews with individuals across a spectrum of legal statuses, the study finds that the increased connection between immigration policy and the housing and labor markets, combined with restrictions concerning visas, age, and legal status, induce and reproduce inequalities in waiting times and access to reunification. Within these restrictions, however, families find ways to circumvent the wait and get family time. The study contributes to the temporal turn in migration studies by exploring reunification among families with diverse backgrounds, complementing previous literature’s focus on the experiences of forced migrants. By considering how deservingness and temporal bordering shape mobility, the article offers both conceptual and empirical contributions to mobility and migration studies. Ultimately, the study brings forward a nuanced analysis of the consequences of restrictive shifts in Swedish immigration policy, contributing to the broader understanding of the current, transnational, mobility regimes.
... Sweden has an international image as a humanitarian, progressive, and liberal state that is regarded as having the best integration policies and anti-discrimination legislation in the West (Hübinette and Lundström 2014). Despite this, statistics show that many immigrants, especially those with a non-Western background, live in the poorest and most vulnerable neighbourhoods, are being discriminated against in the job markets, and are at greater risk of experiencing racism (Carlsson 2010;Hübinette et al 2012). ...
... In reality, 'race' does matter in contemporary Sweden (Wigerfelt et al. 2014) and being classified as 'white' or 'non-white' largely defines one's socio-economic success and well-being. Krifors (2022) underlines that whiteness is a crucial element in the critical examination of racism and anti-racism in Sweden, and the exclusion of 'non-whites' results from racial hierarchical thinking and institutional racism (Hällgren 2005;Carlsson 2010). ...
This article examines the representation of Romani migrants in the context of the 2016 debates to ban begging in Sweden, highlighting the ways in which media and political discourse misrepresented, simplified, or omitted the complexities surrounding this controversial policy. Drawing on Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) of media reports from two leading Swedish newspapers, this article reveals that media and political discourse often decontextualize the ban by employing three key strategies: (1) generalization and polarization, (2) victimizing the general public, and (3) concealing the historical and global context of marginalization and poverty. By portraying begging as an undignified and harmful practice, media and political discourse deflect attention away from the systemic inequalities and socio-economic conditions that lead to begging. This article argues that this decontextualization serves to legitimize and reinforce the ban on begging, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that obstructs meaningful dialogue and prevents the implementation of more effective and compassionate policy solutions that address the root causes of begging in Sweden.
... Similar to other Western countries, discrimination in hiring has been shown to follow patterns of perceived cultural and social distances between natives and different ancestry groups (Hagendoorn 1995;Hraba, Hagendoorn, and Hagendoorn 1989;Quillian et al. 2019;Strabac and Listhaug 2008). Field experiments from Sweden find that call-back rates show a negative correlation with ethno-cultural distance (Vernby and Dancygier 2019), with applicants with Arabic/North African/Middle Eastern names having the lowest call-back rates (Arai, Bursell, and Nekby 2016;Bursell 2012Bursell , 2014Carlsson, 2010;Carlsson & Rooth, 2007). This ethnic hierarchy is mirrored among second-generation job applicants (Carlsson 2010). ...
... Field experiments from Sweden find that call-back rates show a negative correlation with ethno-cultural distance (Vernby and Dancygier 2019), with applicants with Arabic/North African/Middle Eastern names having the lowest call-back rates (Arai, Bursell, and Nekby 2016;Bursell 2012Bursell , 2014Carlsson, 2010;Carlsson & Rooth, 2007). This ethnic hierarchy is mirrored among second-generation job applicants (Carlsson 2010). ...
A large body of research has studied the channels driving ethnic inequalities in unemployment rates. Especially recently, research has almost exclusively examined barriers to unemployment exit (becoming employed) in the form of hiring discrimination conveying the idea that inequality in unemployment is all about hiring. Roughly no studies, in fact, have focused on the role of unemployment entry in explain ethnic and racial inequalities in unemployment. We contribute to this debate by examining inequalities in exiting and entering unemployment across second-generation immigrants and natives in Sweden and propose two possible explanations: hiring discrimination and precariousness. This marks an important extension to existing research because we shed light on the most relevant dynamic in accounting for the ethnic unemployment gap. Analyses are based on Swedish population registers. Correlated random-effects dynamic models are used to derive group-specific steady-state probabilities (SSP). In addition, we estimate counterfactual SSP where second-generation immigrants have natives' unemployment 1) entry probabilities and 2) exit probabilities. Our results show that equalizing unemployment exit does not reduce unemployment inequality. Rather, the unemployment gap disappears when equalizing unemployment entry. This points towards differences in precariousness to be a likely force at work.
... Alternatively, the authors suggest that the most valid explanation for the uncovered discrimination is taste-based discrimination (+). Carlsson (2010) Northern Europe (Sweden) 1,295 fictitious first-generation and 1,337 s-generation Middle Eastern immigrant applicants (1,329 native Swedes) ...
... language skills or educational attainment) between firstand second-generation minorities. Carlsson (2010) hypothesised that firstgeneration immigrants would have lower chances of receiving job interview invitations vis-à-vis second-generation immigrants because of perceived dissimilarity in language and educational skills. In contrast to predictions from statistical discrimination, they found that firstand second-generation immigrants had similar probabilities of being invited to a job interview, albeit lower than native candidates. ...
To mitigate ethnic labour market discrimination, it is essential to understand its underlying mechanisms because different mechanisms call for different counteracting measures. To this end, we reviewed the recent literature that confronts the theories of taste-based and statistical discrimination against the empirical reality. Whereas the empirical evidence for both mechanisms is generally mixed, (field) experimental research, which predominantly focuses on hiring outcomes, appears to yield proportionately more evidence in favour of taste-based discrimination vis-à-vis statistical discrimination. This finding suggests that the taste-based mechanism may better explain ethnic discrimination in hiring. However, we also observe that the measurement operationalisations of the mechanisms vary substantially between studies and that alternative theoretical interpretations of some of the evidence are plausible. Taken together, additional research efforts, using clear measurement standards and appropriate synthesis methods, are required to solidify the review’s main finding.
... As a result, employers may attribute negative group-level stereotypes to minority candidates, leading to unequal labour market outcomes. As Lippens et al. (2022) summarise, examples of such statistical inference include assumptions about lower language proficiency, lower educational attainment, or unproductive personality traits among ethnic minority candidates (e.g., Carlsson, 2010;Kaas & Manger, 2012). ...
Labour markets struggle to be inclusive, while diversity is increasing. This literature review examines labour market challenges faced by first- and second-generation migrants in Belgium. We systematically review articles published between 2010 and 2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection to delineate underlying mechanisms, associated solutions, policy recommendations and literature gaps. The literature reveals that individuals with a migration background generally experience poorer labour market outcomes than natives. These outcomes vary based on specific origin and gender and persist from the first into the second generation. The mechanisms underlying these poorer outcomes are discrimination, individual preferences, and human and social capital differences. Recommendations for employers include implementing standardised hiring procedures and fostering awareness of discrimination among recruiters. On the employee side, investing in human capital, increasing labour market knowledge, and having competencies formally recognised can help to narrow employment gaps. Our review also advocates for policy refinement to combat biases and suggests that alternative pathways to attaining employment, such as self-employment and volunteering, are promising areas for future research.
... This result is consistent with the primary literature on the subject (see Quillian and Midtbøen 2021 for a review), emphasizing minor penalty discrepancies between generations compared to those attributed to minority status. Furthermore, Carlsson (2010) underscores the necessity for authorities to intensify their efforts in enforcing the existing anti-discrimination laws as it represents a clear symptom of TB discrimination. The authors conclude that authorities could strengthen antidiscrimination laws by periodically conducting discrimination tests in the job market, similar to the field experiment in their research. ...
This study examines statistical and taste-based discrimination in European labor markets and identifies effective policy interventions. Statistical discrimination uses stereotypical assumptions to predict individual productivity based on available information when complete data is unavailable. Taste-based discrimination arises from personal biases rather than any economic rationale. The effectiveness of anti-discrimination policies hinges on the nature of discrimination, whether it is statistical, or taste based. To evaluate the depth and variations of discrimination, an index for decomposing discrimination is applied to data from a harmonized field experiment across five European countries, which is then compared with the Italian labor market. The findings underscore the substantial impact of taste-based discrimination, which frequently accounts for a significant portion of overall discrimination. This research offers valuable insights into the issue of discrimination in labor markets and proposes practical policy interventions to address both statistical and taste-based discrimination, thereby contributing to the creation of more inclusive and equitable labor markets.
... Here the question of "time needed to catch up to the native population" is challenged. Indeed, research based on register data, behavioral data of employers, and correspondence testing shows that, even though skills and work experiences gained in Sweden counter labor market discrimination positively, factors such as foreign sounding names (especially Arabic sounding names) and foreign backgrounds (such as Somalia or Iraq but not Poland) do affect employers hiring decisions negatively (e.g., Agerström and Rooth, 2009;Carlsson, 2010;Rooth, 2010;Vernby and Dancygier, 2018), independent of qualifications. In addition, the aforementioned research shows that prejudice exhibited by the managerial employers create an ethnic wage gap in Sweden, and employers with more negative attitudes toward ethnic minorities act on such prejudice in the initial hiring stage (Rooth, 2010;Carlsson and Rooth, 2012;Carlsson and Rooth, 2016). ...
Introduction: A large body of research has established a consensus that racial discrimination in CV screening occurs and persists. Nevertheless, we still know very little about how recruiters look at the CV and how this is connected to the discriminatory patterns. This article examines the way recruiters view and select CVs and how they reason about their CV selection choices, as a first step in unpacking the patterns of hiring discrimination. Specifically, we explore how race and ethnicity signaled through the CV matter, and how recruiters reason about the choices they make. Methods: We recorded data from 40 respondents (20 pairs) who are real-life recruiters with experiences in recruitment of diverse employees in three large Swedish-based firms in the finance and retail sector in two large cities. The participating firms all value diversity, equity and inclusion in their recruitment. Their task was to individually rate 10 fictious CVs where race (signaled by face image) and ethnicity (signaled by name) were systematically manipulated, select the top three candidates, and then discuss their choices in pairs to decide on a single top candidate. We examined whether respondents' choices were associated with the parts of the CV they looked at, and how they reasoned and justified their choices through dialog. Results: Our results show that non-White CVs were rated higher than White CVs. While we do not observe any statistically significant differences in the ratings between different racial groups, we see a statistically significant preference for Chinese over Iraqi names. There were no significant differences in time spent looking at the CV across different racial groups, but respondents looked longer at Polish names compared to Swedish names when presented next to a White face. The dialog data reveal how respondents assess different CVs by making assumptions about the candidates' job and organizational fit through limited information on the CVs, especially when the qualifications of the candidates are evaluated to be equal.
... A lower employment rate among daughters of immigrants could thus result from both discrimination against ethnic minorities and from voluntary labour market absence. Field experiments have demonstrated discrimination against children of immigrants in the hiring process for lower-entry jobs (Carlsson 2010;Midtbøen 2016). However, there are reasons to assume that less discrimination occurs in occupations requiring higher education (Drange 2016). ...
... 11 A related hypothesis is that (ethnic) hiring discrimination would be lower if the job agent worked for an employment agency. Here, too, one might assume that because of the dedicated function of such agencies to search for candidates and match these with open vacancies, they have formalised selection procedures to optimise the information acquisition process (see Carlsson 2010). Therefore, we controlled the moderation effect between the employment agency status of an organisation on ethnic hiring discrimination to validate whether the latter effect persisted if there would be a moderation effect of firm size on discrimination (see Section 4.2). ...
Previous research has demonstrated that context matters in understanding unequal treatment in hiring—for example, some studies have illustrated that hiring discrimination is low in large organisations or high in public-facing occupations. Following a review of the recent literature on ethnic hiring discrimination, we identified fourteen plausible moderators (i.e. discrimination correlates) from which we derived an equal number of hypotheses related to taste-based and statistical discrimination theories. We empirically tested these hypotheses through a moderation analysis of data from a correspondence experiment supplemented with occupation, organisation, and sector characteristics. Our empirical approach allowed us to simultaneously evaluate and control the interaction effects of multiple contextual factors with ethnic hiring discrimination. Overall, we find that minority (non-Flemish) candidates receive significantly fewer positive responses to their job applications than majority (Flemish) candidates. In particular, non-Flemish candidates experience significantly less discrimination when applying to not-for-profit organisations or organisations with a large workforce. We also find partial empirical support for the hypotheses that hiring discrimination is high in occupations requiring much interaction between colleagues and in occupations where labour market tightness is low. Future research avenues include evaluating the rationale behind the discrimination correlates mentioned above and testing the replicability of this study's findings across different institutional contexts, labour markets, and grounds for discrimination.
... For the newly arrived immigrants, ethnic discrimination may occur (see e.g. Carlsson, 2010;Carlsson and Rooth, 2007). With the help of field experiments, Carlsson and Rooth (2007), for example, observed that Swedish names had a 50% higher probability of being contacted compared to persons with names from the Middle East. ...
... Factors such as country/region of birth and time since migration represent variables of importance for the degree of dis/advantage across subgroups (e.g., Obućina, 2014). Repeatedly highlighted in the literature is a pattern whereby migrants born in Africa and the Middle East are especially disadvantaged by labour market inequalities, while the degree of vulnerability typically decreases with longer duration of stay in Sweden (Aldén & Hammarstedt, 2015;Carlsson, 2010;Friedrich et al., 2021;Gustafsson, 2013;Gustafsson & Zheng, 2006;Hammarstedt & Shukur, 2006;Obućina, 2014;Wolgast et al., 2018). Educational levels differ with regard to migration background, but are insufficient to explain all of the observed disparities (e.g., Aldén & Hammarstedt, 2014). ...
Access to the Swedish welfare state’s last safety net, social assistance, is ultimately determined through discretionary decision-making by social workers. This dissertation examines intersectional patterns and discriminatory bias in social workers’ assessments about social assistance eligibility. Focusing on factors related to applicants’ gender, family and ethnicity, the project comprises four studies, all of which highlight patterns regarding which applicants assessed as being eligible for support. Altogether, the project contributes to an expanded understanding of discriminatory tendencies in how social assistance policies are given practical meaning by the professionals that bring them into force.
The first study builds on data covering all social assistance eligibility decisions implemented in 25 municipalities during one calendar month in 2012 (n=472). The remaining three studies build on data from a vignette experiment conducted in 2018, in which just over 1,000 social workers from 19 municipalities, including Sweden’s three largest cities, participated.
Results from both sources of data confirm the impression left by previous research that social assistance assessments are gendered. They show that the likelihood of granting assistance is determined through different standards for men and women. In the view of current knowledge gaps, an important contribution lies in bringing the issue of ethnicity bias to light. The results from the vignette experiment indicate that applicants with Arabic-sounding names are responded to with more conditionality than applicants with Swedish-sounding names, and that discriminatory biases related ethnicity are highly intertwined with gender biases.
By raising much-needed questions about the assessment of couples, the project also draws attention to the dissonance between the Swedish welfare state’s gender equality regime and the conditions for accessing social assistance. The results indicate that moral judgments about applicants’ gendered family roles affect social workers’ propensity to grant support to couples, and that such judgments take form through ethnicity bias.
In terms of theory, the dissertation draws upon feminist and postcolonial perspectives on social policy as well as a street-level bureaucracy perspective on frontline work. Social assistance is understood as part of the welfare state’s wider politics of redistribution, and the quantitative patterns formed by social workers’ individual acts are seen in the light of structural inequalities. The dissertation presents a conceptual model for thinking about social assistance eligibility, emphasising uncertainty as an inescapable dimension of means-testing. A central argument is that eligibility issues decided at the street level cannot be separated from ongoing discretionary processes of policy implementation. While the risk of discrimination in social assistance assessments is inevitable, it tends to be concealed by the administrative arrangements through which policy comes to matter.
... identify migrants' limited political and civil rights, widespread discrimination and language problems as micro-level processes that form migrant workers into a qualitatively distinct group on the labor market. Discrimination against migrants (especially non-EU) in the hiring process has been found in multiple country studies, sometimes using experimental research methods (Nobil Ahmad, 2008;Carlsson, 2010;Weichselbaumer, 2015). The International Labor Organization report that in studies on a number of developed western nations, around one third of vacancies tested were closed to young male applicants of migrant or King . ...
Migrants play a significant role in European labor markets and are used as sources of "cheap labor"; often being disproportionately represented in low-wage, poor conditions, or otherwise precarious positions. Past research has suggested that the process of migrants being filtered into these low-end occupations is linked to institutional factors in receiving countries such as immigration policy, the welfare state and employment regulation. This paper calculates the extent of migrant marginalization in 17 European countries and uses qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and regression modeling to understand how institutional factors operate and interact, leading to migrant marginalization. The QCA showed that when a country with a prominent low skills sector and restrictive immigration policy is combined with either strong employment protection legislation or a developed welfare state, migrants will be more strongly marginalized on the labor market. The results of the statistical analysis largely aligned with the idea that restrictive immigrant policy by itself and in combination with other factors can increase marginalization.
... Field experiments from Sweden find that call-back rates show a negative correlation with an ethno-cultural distance where applicants with Arabic/North African/Middle-Eastern sounding names have the lowest call-back rates (Carlsson and Rooth, 2007;Bursell, 2014;Arai et al., 2016). This immigrant disadvantage is mirrored among the second generation and across sectors (Carlsson, 2010). Importantly, some evidence suggests that discrimination is stronger against men from culturally and socially most distant ancestries (Bursell, 2014;Arai, Bursell and Nekby, 2016). ...
Many immigrant groups disproportionately experience unemployment and this disadvantage often extends to their children—the second generation. This paper contributes to this stream of research by studying unemployment dynamics of the ancestral population and second-generation immigrants in Sweden. In particular, we ask: does unemployment persistence differ between ancestral Swedes and 10 second-generation immigrant groups? We answer this question using correlated dynamic random-effects logit models to study the effect of past on current unemployment—also known as genuine state dependence. We use Swedish register data to follow individuals over their early working careers. The results indicate that although past unemployment has a similar relative effect on current unemployment across the ancestry groups, past unemployment increases the probability of current unemployment (absolute effect) more among second-generation Middle-Eastern, Turkish, and Southern European immigrants. Because of higher baseline levels of unemployment, the labour market consequences of similar relative effects are more pronounced among the second generation as compared to ancestral Swedes. The paper concludes by elaborating on the reasons behind these contrasting results while highlighting the importance of examining heterogeneous effects on both the relative and absolute scales.
... identify migrants' limited political and civil rights, widespread discrimination and language problems as micro-level processes that form migrant workers into a qualitatively distinct group on the labor market. Discrimination against migrants (especially non-EU) in the hiring process has been found in multiple country studies, sometimes using experimental research methods (Nobil Ahmad, 2008;Carlsson, 2010;Weichselbaumer, 2015). The International Labor Organization report that in studies on a number of developed western nations, around one third of vacancies tested were closed to young male applicants of migrant or King . ...
Migrants play a significant role in European labor markets and are used as sources of “cheap labor”; often being disproportionately represented in low-wage, poor conditions, or otherwise precarious positions. Past research has suggested that the process of migrants being filtered into these low-end occupations is linked to institutional factors in receiving countries such as immigration policy, the welfare state and employment regulation. This paper calculates the extent of migrant marginalization in 17 European countries and uses qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and regression modeling to understand how institutional factors operate and interact, leading to migrant marginalization. The QCA showed that when a country with a prominent low skills sector and restrictive immigration policy is combined with either strong employment protection legislation or a developed welfare state, migrants will be more strongly marginalized on the labor market. The results of the statistical analysis largely aligned with the idea that restrictive immigrant policy by itself and in combination with other factors can increase marginalization.
... foreign-born immigrants in their correspondence tests find results that align with ours. That is, the hiring discrimination either decreases remarkably when the minority job applicant is born in the host society (Busetta, Campolo, & Panarello, 2018;Carlsson, 2010;Drydakis, 2010;Oreopoulos, 2011;Veit & Thijssen, 2021) or completely disappears (Veit & Thijssen, 2021, found no discrimination toward domestic-born race-ethnicity minorities in Germany and Spain). Furthermore, previous experimental research in which job applicants' levels of assimilation were experimentally manipulated found that signals of higher assimilation (e.g., the type of first name or the extracurricular activities mentioned in a résumé) increased the hiring chances of race-ethnicity minority job applicants (Baert & Vujić, 2016;Derous, Nguyen, and Ryan, 2009;Fossati, Liechti, & Auer, 2020;. ...
Over the last decades, researchers have found compelling evidence of hiring discrimination toward ethnic minorities based on field experiments using fictitious job applications. Despite increasing efforts to discover why ethnic minorities experience hiring penalties, the academic world has not yet found a satisfying answer. With this study, we aim to close this gap in the literature by conducting a state-of-the-art scenario experiment with genuine American recruiters. In the experiment, we ask recruiters to assess fictitious job applicants of various race-ethnicities but consistent social class. The applicants are rated on 22 statements related to the dominant explanations for ethnic discrimination in hiring that the models of taste-based and statistical discrimination have offered. We find that different race-ethnicity groups are evaluated rather similarly, except for Asian Americans, who are perceived to have better intellectual abilities and organizational skills and to be more ambitious, motivated, efficient, and open. These results suggest that the hiring discrimination found in previous experimental research might be overestimated because part of the reported hiring penalty may be attributed to aspects other than race-ethnicity.
... foreign-born immigrants in their correspondence tests find results that align with ours. That is, the hiring discrimination either decreases remarkably when the minority job applicant is born in the host society (Busetta, Campolo, & Panarello, 2018;Carlsson, 2010;Drydakis, 2010;Oreopoulos, 2011;Veit & Thijssen, 2021) or completely disappears (Veit & Thijssen, 2021, found no discrimination toward domestic-born race-ethnicity minorities in Germany and Spain). Furthermore, previous experimental research in which job applicants' levels of assimilation were experimentally manipulated found that signals of higher assimilation (e.g., the type of first name or the extracurricular activities mentioned in a résumé) increased the hiring chances of race-ethnicity minority job applicants (Baert & Vujić, 2016;Derous, Nguyen, and Ryan, 2009;Fossati, Liechti, & Auer, 2020;. ...
Over the last decades, researchers have found compelling evidence of hiring discrimination toward ethnic minorities based on field experiments using fictitious job applications. Despite increasing efforts to discover why ethnic minorities experience hiring penalties, the academic world has not yet found a satisfying answer. With this study, we aim to close this gap in the literature by conducting a state-of-the-art scenario experiment with genuine American recruiters. In the experiment, we ask recruiters to assess fictitious job applicants of various race-ethnicities but consistent social class. The applicants are rated on 22 statements related to the dominant explanations for ethnic discrimination in hiring that the models of taste-based and statistical discrimination have offered. We find that different race-ethnicity groups are evaluated rather similarly, except for Asian Americans, who are perceived to have better intellectual abilities and organizational skills and to be more ambitious, motivated, efficient, and open. These results suggest that the hiring discrimination found in previous experimental research might be overestimated because part of the reported hiring penalty may be attributed to aspects other than race-ethnicity.
... En fonction des croyances de l'employeur portées sur chacun des groupes, l'espérance de productivité est plus faible pour les groupes minoritaires en raison des représentations personnelles et sociales véhiculées. Heckman (1998) (Oaxaca et Ransom, 1994), l'orientation sexuelle (Laurent et Mihoubi, 2013), la situation de handicap (Mbaye, 2018), la sensibilité religieuse (Bagley et Abubaker, 2017), l'appartenance à un groupe ethnique ou culturel (Bonnal, Boumahdi et Favard, 2013 ;Carlsson, 2010), le lieu de résidence (Petit, Bunel et L'Horty, 2020) Notre étude apporte des éléments de réponse quant à l'existence de discrimination ethnique à l'encontre des Kanak en Nouvelle-Calédonie dans l'accès aux stages. Ces résultats rejoignent ceux de ...
Cette thèse se focalise sur relations entre les politiques publiques d’éducation et les inégalités en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Notre étude se positionne dans le contexte de rééquilibrage de l’Accord de Nouméa. Nous mesurons les inégalités d’accès aux différents niveaux de diplômes entre 1996 et 2019 selon l’origine ethnique (Chapitre 2). Si ces inégalités tendent à se réduire sur cette période, des écarts demeurent pour les niveaux de diplômes les plus élevés. Nous explorons également les relations entre la ségrégation résidentielle urbaine du Grand Nouméa et la réussite scolaire individuelle au regard de la politique de sectorisation (Chapitre 3). Les élèves qui fréquentent un établissement dont la carte scolaire est marquée par une surreprésentation des catégories socio-professionnelles les plus favorisées réussissent le mieux au Diplôme national du brevet. En revanche, la composition ethnique n’y apparait pas liée. Par ailleurs, nous montrons que la réussite scolaire individuelle est également liée à la composition des classes et des établissements scolaires (Chapitre 4) en classe de troisième. Enfin, à partir d’une recherche expérimentale, nous mettons en évidence une discrimination ethnique dans la recherche de lieu de stage (Chapitre 5). Les candidatures d’origine kanak reçoivent significativement moins de réponses non-négatives de la part des entités professionnelles, que les candidatures d’origine non-kanak.
... Carlsson och Rooth (2007) visar genom ett fältexperiment att personer med svenskklingande namn fick 50 procent fler kallelser till anställningsintervju jämfört med personer med arabiskt klingande namn trots samma egenskaper i övrigt. En senare studie med ungefär samma metod bekräftade resultaten (Carlsson 2010). En slutsats är att diskrimineringen verkar handla om etnicitet i sig, och inte bero på födelseland, språk eller utländsk utbildning. ...
The 2022 Swedish labour market is characterised partly by high
unemployment with a high proportion of long-term unemployed
and partly by a large labour supply with a very high activity rate by
international comparison. At the same time, requirements of the
labour force are increasing continuously, and future prospects look
different for different groups. To develop an effective labour market
policy, knowledge of how entry into the labour market and the
establishment process appear for different groups of individuals is
needed. This report specifically concerns paths into the labour
market.
It follows all individuals born in 1979 on their journey into the
labour market from 1995 to 2017, i.e. from ages 16 to 38. We analyse
successes and setbacks for this cohort in achieving the objective of
some degree of self-sufficiency.
Full employment is a central objective of economic and social
policy and there is good reason to continue pursuing this objective,
but we think it should be combined with the objective that the
individual also has an earned income they can live on.
... Refugees from the Middle East suffer from social isolation, language barriers, hopelessness, and discrimination in Western societies (Yako & Biswas, 2014). Some of these burdens are certainly due to the short length of stay but could also apply equally to first-and second-generation IA, such as discrimination in hiring and other career areas (Carlsson, 2010). Other burdens that appear to be more relevant to RA marginalization are more related to post-traumatic stress, such as hopelessness or to anti-refugee policies and inadequate refugee housing that lead to social exclusion (Leiler et al., 2019). ...
Background: Young migrants face particular risks to develop mental health problems. Discrimination and social support impact mental health, yet little is known about the differential impact thereof on mental health in newcomers, non-newcomer migrants, and non-migrants. Aim: This study sheds light on mental health (posttraumatic stress, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, emotional distress, peer relationship problems, prosocial behavior) and the overall well-being of newcomers, non-newcomer migrants, and non-migrants. Furthermore, the impact of social support and discrimination on mental health is investigated. Method: Descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were applied to analyze responses of 2,320 adolescents through self-report questionnaires in Finland, Sweden, and the UK. Results: Newcomers, non-newcomer migrants, and non-migrants have different psychological profiles. While newcomers suffer more from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and peer problems, non-newcomers and non-migrants report more hyperactivity. Discrimination strongly threatens all mental health dimensions, while support from family serves as a protective factor. Support from friends has a positive impact on PTSD among newcomers. Limitations: As this study has a cross-sectional design, conclusions about causality cannot be drawn. In addition, history of traumatic life events or migration trajectory was lacking, while it may impact mental health. Conclusion: Different mental health profiles of newcomers, non-newcomer migrants, and non-migrants point to the need for a tailored and diversified approach. Discrimination remains a risk factor for mental health, while family support is a protective factor for adolescents. Interventions that foster social support from friends would be especially beneficial for newcomers.
... Refugees from the Middle East suffer from social isolation, language barriers, hopelessness, and discrimination in Western societies (Yako & Biswas, 2014). Some of these burdens are certainly due to the short length of stay but could also apply equally to first-and second-generation IA, such as discrimination in hiring and other career areas (Carlsson, 2010). Other burdens that appear to be more relevant to RA marginalization are more related to post-traumatic stress, such as hopelessness (Fazel et al., 2012) or to anti-refugee policies and inadequate refugee housing that lead to social exclusion (Leiler et al., 2019). ...
Background: Religiosity can foster mental health after traumatic experiences. Yet, religiosity among Muslim immigrants has also been linked to separation-oriented acculturation, which is linked to reduced mental health. Therefore, the function of religiosity for resilience in Middle Eastern refugee and immigrant adolescents might differ as their migration contexts differ in terms of traumatic experiences and the nature of cultural interactions. Aims: This study examined whether religiosity is associated with better mental health after traumatic experiences, particularly among young refugees. In addition, it was explored whether religiosity is associated with better mental health among refugees through less marginalization and whether religious immigrant peers show worse mental health through stronger separation. Method: 135 adolescents (MAge = 18.25 years, SD = 1.73; nrefugees = 75, nimmigrants = 60) completed self-reports on religiosity, mental health, trauma, and acculturation orientations. Regression analyses were calculated examining group-specific differences in potential moderating effects of religiosity on the relationship between trauma exposures and internalizing symptoms. Furthermore, potential indirect effects of religiosity on internalizing symptoms via acculturation orientations were investigated. Results: Stronger religiosity was associated with better mental health following trauma exposure. No group-specific differences were observed. While religious refugee adolescents reported less marginalization associated with fewer internalizing symptoms, religious immigrant peers reported more separation and internalizing symptoms. Limitations: Results are limited to male Muslim adolescents in Germany. The cross-sectional nature prohibits any implications for causal dynamics in the associations. Conclusion: Religiosity is generally protective against post-traumatic consequences, but associations with acculturation differ across migration contexts.
... We selected education, employment, and marital status as mediators because a minority status can be regarded as an influencing factor for these social determinants. A study in Sweden found that first-and secondgeneration immigrants experienced discrimination in regard to employment, describing how they were less likely to be invited for a job interview [29]. Additionally, children from immigrant families received high education degrees less frequently compared with native children [30], and it has been shown that a lower level of educational attainment is linked to a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors [10]. ...
Ethnic German resettlers from the former Soviet Union are one of the largest migrant groups in Germany. In comparison with the majority of the German population, resettlers exhibit worse subjective health and utilize fewer preventive measures. However, there is little evidence on health among ethnic Germans who remained in Russia. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the differences in subjective health, diabetes, smoking, and utilization of health check-ups between ethnic Germans and the majority population in Russia. We used data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey II from 1994 to 2018 (general population of Russia n = 41,675, ethnic Germans n = 158). Multilevel logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, sex, period, and place of residence. Analyses were furthermore stratified by the periods 1994–2005 and 2006–2018. Ethnic Germans in Russia rated their health less often as good compared with the Russian majority population (OR = 0.67, CI = 0.48–0.92). Furthermore, ethnic Germans were more likely to smoke after 2006 (OR = 1.91, CI = 1.09–3.37). Lower subjective health among ethnic Germans in Russia is in line with findings among minority populations in Europe. Increased odds of smoking after 2006 may indicate the deteriorating risk behavior of ethnic Germans in Russia.
... For the newly arrived immigrants, ethnic discrimination may occur (see e.g. Carlsson, 2010;Carlsson and Rooth, 2007). With the help of field experiments, Carlsson and Rooth (2007), for example, observed that Swedish names had a 50% higher probability of being contacted compared to persons with names from the Middle East. ...
Despite a generous system with high wage subsidies for the long-term unemployed and newly arrived immigrants, many Swedish employers do not make use of this opportunity. This study seeks to increase knowledge of why some employers use the opportunity and others do not. Both register and survey data and combined register and survey data are used. One finding is that employers lack information about the subsidy programmes, although employers that had previously employed subsidised workers were much more likely to employ them in the future. Thus, a key policy question is how to present these subsidies to employers to reduce this barrier. The study also found that some employers hired people from these groups from altruistic motives. However, some employers responded that they would not employ a person entitled to a subsidy, regardless of the content of the subsidy scheme.
... En rekke studier viser at jobbsøkere med minoritetsbakgrunn har systematisk lavere sannsynlighet for å bli innkalt til jobbintervju, sammenlignet med søkere med majoritetsbakgrunn (Baert 2018;Birkelund & Rindsack 2014;Bursell 2014;Carlsson 2010;Midtbøen 2014;Midtbøen & Rogstad 2012;Oreopoulos 2011;Zschirnt & Ruedin 2015). 1 Disse studiene er likevel begrenset ved at de ikke gir innblikk i hva som skjer etter første fase i rekrutteringsprosessen. Det er betydelig rom for forskjellsbehandling både i jobbintervjuet og i den endelige innstillingen av aktuelle søkere. ...
... Arbeidsgivere oppgir ofte usikkerhet knyttet til språkferdigheter som begrunnelse for lavere innkallingsrate for søkere med innvandrerbakgrunn (Midtbøen 2014). Flere internasjonale studier har forsøkt å forstå betydningen av språk i rekruttering gjennom manipulering av fiktive søknader, men de faerreste av disse såkalte korrespondansestudiene finner effekt av å legge til mer informasjon om språk (Bursell 2007;Carlsson 2010;Oreopoulos 2011;Zschirnt & Ruedin 2016). ...
Arbeidsgiveres usikkerhet om kandidaters språkferdigheter er en forklaring på hvorfor kandidater med innvandrerbakgrunn diskrimineres i rekrutteringsprosesser. Basert på en spørreundersøkelse med surveyeksperiment til 600 bedriftsledere, samt intervjuer med åtte arbeidsgivere, undersøker vi hvorvidt dokumentasjon av norskferdigheter gjennom norskprøven kan bidra til å redusere denne usikkerheten. Vi finner at arbeidsgivere mener at subjektive vurderingsformer gir mer relevant informasjon om kandidatens språknivå, enn dokumentasjon av bestått norskprøve på nivå B2. Dette forklares delvis med at arbeidsgivere har for lite informasjon om norskprøven, og delvis med at arbeidsgivere i stor grad refererer til kulturell og relasjonell kompetanse når de snakker om språk.
... The meta-analysis by Quillian et al. (2019) finds evidence of somewhat lower racial discrimination on average for studies employing applicants with a college education or more compared with applicants with less education. Some studies also provide evidence on whether aspects of education like prestige of college (Gaddis 2015) or high school grades (Carbonaro & Schwarz 2018) affect racial discrimination in hiring, most often not finding these racial discrimination differs (interacts) with these characteristics. 8. Large employers discriminate less. ...
This article reviews studies of discrimination against racial and ethnic minority groups in hiring in cross-national perspective. We focus on field-experimental studies of hiring discrimination: studies that use fictitious applications from members of different racial and ethnic groups to apply for actual jobs. There are more than 140 field experimental studies of hiring discrimination against ethno-racial minority groups in 30 countries. We outline seventeen empirical findings from this body of studies. We also discuss individual and contextual theories of hiring discrimination, the relative strengths and weaknesses of field experiments to assess discrimination, and the history of such field experiments. The comparative scope of this body of research helps to move beyond micromodels of employer decision-making to better understand the roles of history, social context, institutional rules, and racist ideologies in producing discrimination. These studies show that racial and ethnic discrimination is a pervasive international phenomenon that has hardly declined over time, although levels vary significantly over countries. Evidence indicates that institutional rules regarding race and ethnicity in hiring can have an important influence on levels of discrimination. Suggestions for future research on discrimination are discussed.
Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 47 is July 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
... In contrast to predictions in integration and assimilation theories, the level of discrimination facing immigrants and their descendants do not seem to differ substantially. This suggests that ethnicity, and presumably religion, are driving factors for discrimination (Heath and Cheung 2007;Carlsson 2010;Zschirnt and Ruedin 2016;Di Stasio et al. 2019). Moreover, abundant evidence from a range of different studies shows the existence of clear ethnic hierarchies, where European-origin groups experience significantly less discrimination than non-European origin groups. ...
This chapter briefly summarizes the content of the book, emphasizing how the impressive breadth of research reveal a worrying picture of enduring discrimination in immigrant-receiving societies across space and time, suggesting the contour of troubling “three P’s” in contemporary European societies: that ethno-racial discrimination appears to be pervasive, perpetuating, and persistent. The chapter also revisits the relationship between theories of integration and discrimination, and it concludes by pointing out promising for future research on discrimination.
... The choice of names was motivated by previous research highlighting Arabic-sounding names as particularly subject to discrimination in Sweden (e.g. Ahmed, 2010;Carlsson, 2010;Khosravi, 2012). In order to increase the degree of external validity (cf. ...
In Sweden, trained social workers ultimately determine the right to social assistance (SA). This paper examines how a substance-abusing SA applicant’s gender and ethnicity affect assessments on eligibility. It further addresses whether professionals’ gender and migration background have bearing for such patterns. Social work professionals (n = 910) spread over 43 social service offices in 19 Swedish municipalities conducted assessments based on a vignette. Four versions of the vignette were used, in which the name of the applicant was varied. The names were two Swedish-sounding names and two Arabic-sounding names: one of each gender respectively. Data were analysed by means of cross tabulations and multilevel logistic regression analysis. The Swedish-sounding names were linked to a higher chance of granting compared to the Arabic-sounding names, whereas females more often were seen as eligible than males. The major finding was the combined impact of gender and ethnicity: Applicants attributed with an Arabic-sounding male name were less often seen as eligible than those with a Swedish-sounding female name. This bias was specifically manifest among female professionals. Further, native-born professionals generally viewed the applicant as eligible to a higher extent than foreign-born.
... The latter group are foreign-born residents from South America, Asia and Africa. This categorization captures a part of the population that is more likely to suffer from discrimination (Ahmed and Hammarstedt 2008;Carlsson 2010) and captures a group with a generally lower socioeconomic position in the Swedish society. The broad non-western, foreign-born category cannot take account of ethnic hierarchies within this group, nor can it reveal how these groups may move differently due to economic and social differences, and orientation towards co-ethnics. ...
The central themes of this study are how housing tenure affects moving away from neighbourhoods with differing degrees of immigrant concentration in Stockholm and, comparing two cohorts, how the relationship between housing tenure, ethnic background and residential mobility develops over time. The findings reveal that the effect of housing tenure on moving varies marginally between neighbourhood types, and differences between housing tenures are reduced over time. Residential mobility is increasingly associated with higher income levels and members of the non-western, foreign-born group are less likely to move when the housing market is increasingly owner dominated. These ethnic hierarchies also apply to residential sorting. The sorting of out-movers from neighbourhoods with high concentrations of immigrants is increasingly affected by income. However, the non-western, foreign-born group is also increasingly dependent on housing assets in order to leave immigrant-dense neighbourhoods, which is not the case for other groups. The results show a shift in the necessary resources for residential mobility trajectories for those at the bottom end of the ethnic hierarchy and indicate that the place-stratification framework needs to differentiate between different types of assets and population groups to enable a better understanding of residential sorting in a changing housing market.
How do race and foreign-born status shape labor market outcomes? Existing frameworks about discrimination against immigrants posit that the further people are racially and socioculturally from the “mainstream,” the more discrimination they will experience. To date, we lack a direct empirical test of how race and foreign-born status combine in a causal manner in hiring. To fill this empirical gap, I use insights from status aggregation theory and racial boundary formation to develop and test empirical predictions about how race and nativity status combine in hiring. I test these hypotheses using data from a large-scale field experiment in 18 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas in semi-skilled jobs. Results from the audit study show that employers discriminate based on nativity status and that these effects are similar for Hispanic and Eastern European immigrants. I discuss the implications of these findings for theories of immigrant incorporation and literature on employer hiring decisions.
In a field experiment, we study the causal effects of previous experience and language skills when newly arrived Syrian refugees in Sweden apply for low‐skilled jobs. We find no evidence of sizable effects from previous experience or completed language classes on the probability of receiving a callback from employers. However, female applicants were more likely than males to receive a positive response. As a complement to the experiment, we interview a select number of employers, which provides additional insights into how they judge candidates for low‐skilled jobs.
Immigration to Sweden is dominated by women and men of childbearing age, and many arrive with children. The labour-market integration of newly arrived mothers is of concern, and well directed social policy is crucial. Parental leave is based on residence, and until recently it was granted to all parents of foreign-born children of preschool age. This study uses population and social insurance registers to investigate whether newly arrived immigrant mothers use parental leave upon arrival, and whether use is an obstacle to future labour-market activity. Our results indicate that the majority of the newly arrived mothers do not take any parental leave, but also that there are great differences in uptake in relation to country of birth and reason for residence permit. However, there seem to be only marginal associations between parental leave use and subsequent labour-market attachment. Nevertheless, moderate use is associated with labour-market activity rather than being an obstacle to it. Our results contribute to the debate on the unintended effects of social policy on the integration of immigrants.
The existence and mechanisms of ethnic discrimination in hiring decisions have been extensively studied, but the following two gaps remain: non-Western societies and taste-based discrimination. In this contribution, we investigate whether ethnic discrimination and its mechanisms are similarly observable in the Japanese labour market. Additionally, to reflect Becker’s initial idea, we decompose the sources of taste-based discrimination into employers’ preferences and societal preferences (i.e. perceived co-workers’ and customers’ preferences) and determine which and how preferences drive ethnic discrimination. We conducted factorial survey experiments via web surveys in Japan targeting HR professionals/employers working in almost all industries. The results show that immigrants are severely disadvantaged in hiring. Decomposing taste-based discrimination shows that only employers’ preferences contribute to discrimination, whereas societal preferences do not influence discrimination. However, the magnitude of the effects of employers’ preferences on discrimination depends on societal preferences as follows: hiring decisions are less dependent on employer attitudes towards socially preferred groups than those towards socially non-preferred groups. This study suggests that ethnic discrimination is observable even outside of Western societies and that taste-based discrimination is a more complicated process than expected in previous studies.
Foreign-born Latinos face hiring disadvantages in the US labor market compared to native-born Latinos, which may be due to differences in human capital, legal status, or employer bias. However, it is difficult to adjudicate between these explanations because most scholarship documenting hiring inequalities focuses on workers’ experiences and not on employers’ actions. This prevents understanding whether employer discrimination is a mechanism of nativity status inequalities in hiring, particularly among the growing share of Latinos with college degrees. I conduct a correspondence audit study of 1,364 jobs in eight metros to test whether employers screen out college-educated Latino men based on nativity vis-a-vis legal status. Employers were twice as likely to call back native-born as foreign-born Latinos. Paradoxically, however, employers called back documented, work-authorized Latinos at almost the same low rates as undocumented Latinos without the right to work. A national survey experiment of 468 human resources (HR) representatives and interviews with 23 HR representatives and immigration lawyers reveal that individual concerns about foreign-born Latinos’ English language ability, and organizational concerns about their deportability, may explain why HR staff are reluctant to hire foreign-born Latinos. The results highlight the power of both nativist attitudes and immigration laws for hampering the employment chances of even documented, college-educated Latinos.
How useful is work experience from the gig economy for labor market entrants searching for traditional wage jobs? We conducted a correspondence study in Sweden, comparing callback rates for recent high school graduates with (i) gig-experience, (ii) traditional experience, and (iii) unemployment history. We also study heterogeneous responses with respect to perceived foreign background. Our findings suggest that gig-experience is more valuable than unemployment, but less useful than traditional experience for majority applicants. Strikingly however, no form of labor market experience increases the callback rate for minority workers.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether ethnic discrimination is present in the Russian labor market and whether it has a significant economic effect on the potential salaries of applicants.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a correspondence audit for four experimental male applicants with identical professional and personal characteristics while differing only in applicant name as a signal of applicants' ethnic background. Implied ethnicities include Russians, Armenians, Jews and North Caucasians. Résumés were sent out to 800 real unique vacancies on behalf of the experimental applicants with a geographic focus on the capital Moscow.
Findings
The results of the analysis suggest that there is a significant difference in treatment in both response rate and potential average salaries on ethnic grounds. Disadvantaged groups were found to be systematically pushed into jobs paying 15% less monthly wage.
Originality/value
The study investigates the existence of ethnic discrimination in the Russian labor market and furthermore economically quantifies the effects of discrimination.
The paper analyses the effects of perceived discrimination on the self-rated health of immigrants living in Germany. Previous research indicates that immigrants’ health is negatively affected by the psychosocial strain caused by perceived discrimination. I analyse whether feelings of belonging to both the origin and the host country play a moderating role in this association: While feelings of belonging to the origin country might buffer the health threat of perceived discrimination, a strong sense of belonging to the host country might exacerbate it because it increases immigrants’ sensitivity and vulnerability to discrimination by the majority society. Using data from the German Socio-economic Panel Study (N = 10,412), I confirm previous research on the harmful effect of perceived discrimination on health. While feelings of belonging to the origin country are not a protective factor, the health threat of perceived discrimination indeed exacerbates with an increasing sense of belonging to the host country.
Does cultural dissimilarity explain discrimination against immigrant-origin minorities in the labour market? I conducted a factorial field experiment (N = 1350) to explore how explicit group cues trigger differential treatment and whether individuating information that counters cultural-based stereotypical representations mitigate discrimination. Employers were randomly assigned a job application with a putative female ethnic majority or immigrant-origin minority alias and CV photographs portraying the minority candidate with or without a headscarf—perhaps the quintessential marker of Muslim identity. Moreover, half the job applications conveyed information intended to reduce cultural distance by indicating a liberal lifestyle and civic participation. The results demonstrate that immigrant-origin women are significantly less likely to receive an invitation to a job interview, especially if they also wear a headscarf. Contrary to expectations, the differential treatment is not moderated by the individuating information in the applications. This indicates that the differential treatment is persistent and also targets immigrant-origin minorities who have acquired soft skills and signals cultural proximity.
Notwithstanding the improved integration of various minority groups in the workforce, unequal treatment in hiring still hinders many individuals' access to the labour market. To tackle this inaccessibility, it is essential to know which and to what extent minority groups face hiring discrimination. This meta-analysis synthesises a quasi-exhaustive register of correspondence experiments on hiring discrimination published between 2005 and 2020. Using a random-effects model, we computed pooled discrimination ratios concerning ten discrimination grounds upon which unequal treatment in hiring is forbidden under United States federal or state law. Our meta-analysis shows that hiring discrimination against candidates with disabilities, older candidates, and less physically attractive candidates is at least equally severe as the unequal treatment of candidates with salient ethnic characteristics. Remarkably, hiring discrimination against older applicants is even more outspoken in Europe than in the United States. Furthermore, unequal treatment in hiring based on sexual orientation seems to be prompted mainly by signalling activism rather than same-sex orientation in itself. Last, aside from a significant decrease in ethnic hiring discrimination in Europe, we find no structural evidence of recent temporal changes in hiring discrimination based on the various other grounds within the scope of this review.
Siden slutten av 1960-tallet har over 140 felteksperimenter i 30 land blitt gjennomført for å kartlegge omfanget av etnisk diskriminering i ansettelsesprosesser. Artikkelen bygger på en systematisk gjennomgang av denne litteraturen. Vi trekker fram tre hovedkonklusjoner: 1) Det er ingen tegn til endring i omfanget av diskriminering over tid; 2) diskriminering er en like stor barriere for etterkommere av innvandrere som for innvandrere; 3) omfanget av diskriminering mot jobbsøkere med bakgrunn fra Afrika, Asia, Midtøsten og Sør-Amerika er vesentlig større enn diskriminering mot jobbsøkere fra Europa. Konklusjonene drøftes i lys av teorier om assimilering og rasialisering.
De verschillen in arbeidsparticipatie tussen personen met en zonder migratieachtergrond zijn groot en hardnekkig. Op dit moment werkt 61% van de personen met een niet-westerse migratieachtergrond (15-74 jaar). Bij personen zonder migratieachtergrond werkt 69%.
Het verschil dreigt door de coronacrisis verder op te lopen.
Overheden en werkgevers kunnen met gerichte maatregelen deze ongelijkheid tegengaan. Kansrijk zijn onder andere: het eerder toegang geven van migranten tot de arbeidsmarkt, een slimmer plaatsingsbeleid, sterkere financiële prikkels voor zowel werkgevers als werknemers. Een neutraler wervings- en selectieproces is belangrijk om arbeidsdiscriminatie tegen te gaan. Dit blijkt uit de publicatie Kansrijk integratiebeleid op de arbeidsmarkt van het Centraal Planbureau (CPB) en het Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (SCP) die op 15 oktober is gepubliceerd.
A large body of research documents the existence of discrimination against migrants and ethnic minorities in the labour market. This study experimentally investigates for Austria, to what degree employment discrimination against ethnic minorities is mitigated, when they abstain from following the Austrian norm of including a photograph to their job application that would make their ethnicity salient or when they hold a local-sounding name. We apply social identity theory to explain why such mitigation may occur. In our correspondence test, using a single application design, we found that with matching ethnic names and ethnic photographs, black but not Asian job applicants suffered from discrimination. Discrimination was reduced for blacks (but not Asians) when they held a local-sounding name. Although photographs may facilitate ethnic discrimination, we did not find that their omission improved minorities’ relative employment chances. On the contrary, Asians were penalized for leaving out their photograph. Indeed, if candidates did not attach photos despite the convention to do so, we found statistically significant discrimination not only against black, but also Asian applicants.
Discrimination and stigmatization are costly for the society by lowering economic growth, by reinforcing ethnic inequalities, by fueling political conflicts and by jeopardizing social cohesion. Moreover, victims of unfair treatment pay a high price as discrimination and stigmatization. Far from being passive victims, however, many members of minority groups develop and deploy individual and collective strategies to meet such challenges. This chapter focuses on the impact of discrimination – for economy and society, but mainly focusing on the consequences of discrimination for the targeted individuals and groups. The chapter also addresses responses to experiences of exclusion and disadvantage by reviewing recent research of how awareness of the repercussions of unfair treatment lead both individuals and groups to protect themselves and seek strategies for overcoming future barriers.
Cultural minorities often suffer from ethnic discrimination in recruitment. To measure ethnic discrimination accurately, researchers have shifted from interviews, survey studies, and statistical salary comparisons to resume studies. To conduct a resume study, researchers send out similar, paired resumes in response to job advertisements and vary the names to indicate a membership to different ethnic groups. Previous resume studies have found that ethnic discrimination in recruitment is a common problem across different countries. However, previous research reported large discrimination differences across studies. Not much is known about boundary conditions and moderators of ethnic discrimination in recruitment. To create the theoretical basis for future research, we expand on previous research and reviews by elucidating when ethnic discrimination is likely to occur and how it can be reduced. We also provide insight into how resume study research can contribute to identifying the causes and mechanisms of ethnic discrimination. For this purpose, we develop a contingency perspective based on a literature review and explain how ethnic discrimination depends on the characteristics of the: 1) applicant, 2) job, 3) recruiter, 4) hiring organization, 5) country, and 6) ethnic group. Further, we explain that ethnic discrimination can be reduced by using anonymous resumes, adding information on job applicants, “whitening” resumes, including volunteer work in resumes, and conducting intervention studies. Lastly, we provide a rich agenda, and present thought-provoking topics for future research.
Recent werden er een aantal initiatieven aangekondigd om discriminatie in kaart te brengen, de monitoring hiervan verder te zetten en/of aangepaste maatregelen te nemen. De minister van Wonen kondigde aan om opnieuw een Woonsurvey door het steunpunt Wonen te organiseren en neemt beleidsinitiatieven met de immosector. De minister van Werk kondigde aan een nulmeting te willen organiseren (en bestelde daartoe een onderzoeksopdracht) en neemt deze problematiek op binnen de sectorconvenants. Ook de minister van Binnenlands beleid en Bestuurszaken kondigde aan een monitoringssysteem te willen ontwikkelen voor de Vlaamse overheid en de lokale besturen.
Doordat er verschillende initiatieven worden genomen, wenst de Vlaamse Regering een gemeenschappelijk forum op te richten, waar informatie en expertise over verschillende mogelijke systemen kan worden uitgewisseld. Dit kan tevens de coherentie en afstemming tussen verschillende systemen bevorderen, waarbij op zoek kan gegaan worden naar onderliggende mechanismen of beweegredenen die leiden tot een ongelijke behandeling of uitsluiting.
Dit gemeenschappelijk forum werd opgericht in de vorm van een Centraal Expertencomité.
Dit Expertencomité werd samengesteld uit academici die een gedegen expertise en gespecialiseerde kennis hebben inzake het wetenschappelijk in kaart brengen, analyseren, monitoren en/of bestrijden van discriminatie of uitsluiting.
Het Centraal Expertencomité heeft de opdracht gekregen van de Vlaamse Overheid (VO) om ervaringen en initiatieven over verschillende systemen uit te wisselen en concrete antwoorden te formuleren op de volgende vier vragen:
V1) Welke valabele methoden zijn er om discriminatie op te sporen en te monitoren, waarbij rekening wordt gehouden met de specificiteit van de verschillende domeinen (Wonen, Werk, VO als werkgever)? De bedoeling is dat er op een onafhankelijke, effectieve en academische wijze kan gemonitord worden wat de aard en het volume van de discriminatie op geaggregeerd niveau is.
V2) Welke methoden kunnen ook als sensibiliserend instrument ingezet worden?
V3) Met welke methoden kunnen lokale besturen aan de slag, compatibel aan het Vlaamse instrumentarium voor wonen, arbeidsmarkt en de VO, en wat zijn hier de randvoorwaarden?
V4) Welke gerichte onderzoeksvragen kunnen geformuleerd worden ter verdieping van de kennis over de strijd tegen discriminatie (bv. wat zijn onderliggende mechanismen die leiden tot een ongelijke behandeling of uitsluiting)?
Op basis van de resultaten van het Centraal Expertencomité zal o.a. een sensibiliserende nulmeting bij de Vlaamse overheid worden toegepast om binnen de respectievelijke diensten een zicht te krijgen op de aard en de grootteorde van discriminatie bij personeelsaangelegenheden (bv. bij aanwerving).
In lijn met deze doelstelling, hebben de experten, met uitzondering van Stefan Sottiaux (wat vooraf ook zo was afgesproken), een paper geschreven op basis van hun expertise en onderzoeken tot op vandaag. Een synthese van dit werk vormde de inhoud van een tussentijds rapport dat midden oktober is afgeleverd. Daaropvolgend werden er vanaf de tweede helft van oktober reflectiemomenten georganiseerd met het Expertencomité. Dit om de bespreking en het debat rond de 4 kernvragen te voorzien en concluderende antwoorden te formuleren. Deze terugkoppeling is opgenomen in dit eindrapport.
De adviezen in dit eindrapport zijn dus gebaseerd op enerzijds de individuele papers van de experten alsook de onderlinge besprekingen tijdens de reflectiemomenten. Dit eindrapport formuleert antwoorden specifiek binnen de contouren die zijn gevraagd door de opdrachtgever. Binnen deze contouren worden dus geen adviezen gegeven voor de volledige handhavingscyclus – nl. voor monitoren en sensibiliseren wel, maar bestraffen wordt buiten beschouwing gelaten.
As the many forms of intolerance are all interrelated, this paper extends previous research on multiple discrimination, its conceptualisation, perceptions, experiences and proposals for anti-discrimination policies. It provides the key results of a project aimed at developing a conceptual framework of multiple discrimination, plus some proposals for anti-discrimination policies. Several different research strategies were applied, combining the analysis of available data and materials produced by the research team itself. The first approach included the analysis of eurobarometers on discrimination in the European Union, along with nationwide surveys conducted in Spain. The primary data corresponded to both qualitative materials (gathered through focus groups and interviews with members of Spanish NGOs, policy makers and social experts), and quantitative data from a CAWI survey on teaching staff at Spanish universities. The diagnosis concluded with the proposal of several anti-discrimination policies to tackle multiple discrimination in societies where different experiences of discrimination converge.
This paper uses data from an Internet-based CV database to investigate how factors which may be used as a basis for discrimination, such as the searchers’ ethnicity, gender, age and employment status, affect the number of contacts they receive from firms. Since we have access to essentially the same information as the firms, we can handle the problems associated with nobserved heterogeneity better than most existing studies of discrimination. We find that, even when we control for other differences, searchers who have non-Nordic names, are old or unemployed receive significantly fewer contacts. Moreover, we find that this matters for the hiring outcome: Searchers who receive more contacts have a higher probability of actually getting hired.
Theoretical explanations suggest that wage differentials between immigrant and native workers are generated either by unequal acquisition of human capital between the groups or by various forms of exclusion of immigrants from fair labor market rewards. We evaluate the labor quality and labor market discrimination hypotheses by using a large sample of Swedish employees in 1995. Our findings show that labor market integration is relatively unproblematic for immigrants from Western countries, whereas immigrants from other countries, especially from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, face substantial obstacles to earnings progress when entering the Swedish labor market. For the latter group of countries, extensive controls for general and country-specific human capital reduce the earnings differentials. However, the remaining gap is of a non-trivial magnitude. Thus, the labor quality hypothesis accounts for a part of the observed native-immigrant wage gap, but the remaining differentials can be interpreted in terms of labor market discrimination.
This article analyzes the subsequent unemployment risk of a sample of Swedish employees in 1991. We find that non-European immigrants face an unemployment risk twice as large as the corresponding risk for native workers despite controls for employee characteristics, the 1991 wage rate, and sorting across establishments with varying unemployment risks. Although all employees enjoy higher job security with higher seniority, large differences in unemployment risk by region of birth remain for workers with similar seniority levels. This suggests that labor unions and employers deviate from seniority rules established by the Swedish Security of Employment Act in favor of native workers.
Detecting ethnic discrimination in the labour market using individual data is aggravated by individual ethnic-specific characteristics that are unobserved by the researcher. In an attempt to estimate the effect of skin colour on the probability of being employed (vs, unemployed), the labour market success of foreign-born adopted individuals is compared with that of natives. Specifically, the unexplained differences in the probability of being employed between natives and adoptees is investigated using Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methodology. It is found that adoptees with dissimilar looks to natives fare worse in the labour market, measured as a lower probability of being employed, than natives, and that these differences can be attributed to an unexplained difference rather than a difference in characteristics observed by the researcher. Also, such large differences are not found for adoptees with a similar appearance to natives. Hence, we cannot exclude the possibility that skin colour discrimination exists in the labour market.
We present evidence of ethnic discrimination in the recruitment process by sending fictitious applications to real job openings. Applications with identical skills were randomly assigned Middle Eastern- or Swedish-sounding names and applications with a Swedish name receive fifty percent more callbacks for an interview.We extend previous analyses by adding register and interview information on firms/recruiters to the experimental data. We find that male recruiters and workplaces with fewer than twenty employees less often call applications with a Middle Eastern name for an interview.
This paper presents a field experiment on discrimination in the housing market, using the Internet as a research platform. The procedure involved our creating three fictitious persons with distinctive sounding ethnic and gender names. These individuals applied for vacant rental apartments in Sweden that were advertised by landlords on the Internet. Our findings show that the Arabic/Muslim male received far fewer call backs, enquiries, and showings than the Swedish male. Our observations also indicate that the Swedish female met with less difficulty in terms of finding an apartment than the Swedish male. Thus, based on our findings, we conclude that ethnic, as well as gender discrimination exists in the Swedish rental housing market.
This paper provides evidence of extensive ethnic discrimination in the Swedish labour market. A field experiment (correspondence test) that tests employer discrimination has been performed. Pairs of equally merited applications has been sent to job openings, one with a Swedish sounding name and one with a foreign sounding name. Discrimination is measured by documenting the existence of an ethnic difference in call-backs. The results indicate that there is discrimination in all of the occupations that were tested in the experiment, but that the extent of the ethnic discrimination differs between the occupations. An attempt is also made to explain the results applying the theories of statistical discrimination and social distance.
This paper presents the results from an ethnical discrimination experiment that was conducted in one of Sweden’s most “problematic” cities with respect to the integration process of refugees. The subjects confronted three different bargaining games; one trust game, one social exclusion and coalition formation game; and one battle of the sexes game. No general discrimination effect was detected. However, one specific effect was that Non-Swedes were less likely to be chosen as bargaining partners in the coalition formation game. Another specific effect was found in the males’ trust and ultimatum responses; Non-Swedes had higher returns on being generous compared to Swedes.
We study race in the labor market by sending fictitious resumes to help-wanted ads in Boston and Chicago newspapers. To manipulate perceived race, resumes are randomly assigned African-American- or White-sounding names. White names receive 50 percent more callbacks for interviews. Callbacks are also more responsive to resume quality for White names than for African-American ones. The racial gap is uniform across occupation, industry, and employer size. We also find little evidence that employers are inferring social class from the names. Differential treatment by race still appears to still be prominent in the U. S. labor market.
Controlled experiments, using matched pairs of bogus transactors, to test for discrimination in the marketplace have been conducted for over 30 years, and have extended across 10 countries. Significant, persistent and pervasive levels of discrimination have been found against nonwhites and women in labour, housing and product markets. Rates of employment discrimination against non--whites, in excess of 25% have been measured in Australia, Europe and North America. A small number of experiments have also investigated employment discrimination against the disabled in Britain and the Netherlands, and against older applicants in the United States. Copyright Royal Economic Society 2002
Do Anonymous Job Application Procedures Level the Playing Field?', Working Paper The Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU) The Economics of DiscriminationAre Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination
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Essays on Discrimination in Hiring
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Diskriminering, Integration och Etniska Relationer
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Essays on the Behavioral Economics of Discrimination
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What's in a Name? - An Ethnical Discrimination Experiment’ Working Paper
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Var Finns Jobben 2007?
- Agency Swedish Employment