Study: Many New York City Employers Discriminate Against Minorities, Ex-Offenders
/Black applicants without criminal records are no more likely to get a job than white applicants just out of prison,
according to a Princeton University study of nearly 1,500 private
employers in New York City. The study, "Discrimination in Low Wage
Labor Markets," was conducted by sociology professors Devah Pager and
Bruce Western. It is the largest and most comprehensive project of its
kind to date. The study, which investigated discrimination against
young male minorities and ex-offenders by employers, also showed:
- Young white high school graduates
were about twice as likely to receive positive responses from New York
employers as equally qualified black job seekers. -
- Ex-offenders face serious
barriers to employment; a criminal record reduced positive responses
from employers by about 35 percent for white applicants and 57 percent
for black applicants. -
- Even without criminal records,
however, black applicants had low rates of positive responses, about
the same as the response rate for white applicants with criminal
records. Hispanics also faced discrimination by employers, but were
preferred relative to blacks. "The results of this landmark study are
deeply disturbing and highlight the need for strong enforcement of the
New York City Human Rights Law," said Patricia Gatling, commissioner of
the New York City Commission on Human Rights, which assisted in the
study. In New York City it is illegal for employers to discriminate on
the basis of race or a criminal record. [more]
