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Automatic associations and discrimination in hiring: Real world evidence

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  • Rooth, Dan-Olof

Abstract

This is the first study providing empirical support for automatically activated associations inducing discriminatory behavior among recruiters in a real-life hiring situation. Two different field experiments on ethnic discrimination in hiring are combined with a measure of employers' automatic attitudes and performance stereotypes toward Arab-Muslim men relative to Swedish men using the Implicit Association Test. The results show that the probability to invite Arab-Muslim job applicants decreases by five percentage points when the recruiter has a one standard deviation stronger negative implicit association toward Arab-Muslim men. This suggests that automatic processes may exert a significant impact on employers' hiring decisions, offering new insights into labor market discrimination.

Suggested Citation

  • Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2010. "Automatic associations and discrimination in hiring: Real world evidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 523-534, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:17:y:2010:i:3:p:523-534
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jens Agerström & Dan‐Olof Rooth, 2009. "Implicit prejudice and ethnic minorities," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(1/2), pages 43-55, March.
    2. P. A. Riach & J. Rich, 2002. "Field Experiments of Discrimination in the Market Place," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(483), pages 480-518, November.
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    9. Uhlmann, Eric Luis & Cohen, Geoffrey L., 2007. ""I think it, therefore it's true": Effects of self-perceived objectivity on hiring discrimination," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 104(2), pages 207-223, November.
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    11. Jens, Agerström & Carlsson, Rickard & Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2007. "Ethnicity and obesity: evidence of implicit work performance stereotypes in Sweden," Working Paper Series 2007:20, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    12. Rooth, Dan-Olof, 2008. "Automatically Activated Stereotypes and Differential Treatment Against the Obese in Hiring," IZA Discussion Papers 3799, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Eric Luis Uhlmann & Anthony Greenwald & Andrew Poehlmann & Mahzarin Banaji, 2009. "Understanding and Using the Implicit Association Test: III. Meta-Analysis of Predictive Validity," Post-Print hal-00516146, HAL.
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