Ethnic Discrimination in Hiring Decisions: A Meta-Analysis of Correspondence Tests 1990-2015

Abstract

For almost 50 years field experiments have been used to study ethnic and racial discrimination in hiring decisions, consistently reporting high rates of discrimination against minority applicants, irrespective of time, location, or minority groups tested. While Riach and Rich (2002) and Rich (2014) provide systematic reviews of existing field experiments, no study has undertaken a meta-analysis to examine the findings in the studies reported. In this paper we present a meta-analysis of the results of 627 correspondence tests in 42 separate studies conducted in OECD countries between 1990 and 2015. We place special emphasis on the contrast between the first and second generation of immigrants, as well as specific immigrant groups across countries and time. The results of this meta-analysis show that discrimination against ethnic and racial minorities remains prevalent in the hiring process, despite the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation. We also demonstrate that there is no systematic association between the economic situation and discrimination.

Keywords: ethnic discrimination, hiring, correspondence test, meta-analysis

JEL Classification: J7, J71, J15, F22, J61, O15, M51