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Ethnic Discrimination in China's Internet Job Board Labor Market

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  • Maurer-Fazio, Margaret

    (Bates College)

Abstract

We conduct a large-scale field experiment to investigate how Chinese firms respond to job applications from ethnic minority and Han applicants for jobs posted on a large Chinese Internet job board. We denote ethnicity by means of names that are typically Han Chinese and distinctively Mongolian, Tibetan, and Uighur. We find significant differences in the callback rates by ethnicity and that these differences vary systematically across ethnic groups. Not all firms discriminate – approximately half treat all candidates equally. State-owned firms are significantly less likely than privately-owned firms to discriminate against minorities by calling only candidates with Han names and much more likely to treat candidates equally.

Suggested Citation

  • Maurer-Fazio, Margaret, 2012. "Ethnic Discrimination in China's Internet Job Board Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 6903, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6903
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bursell, Moa, 2007. "What's in a name? A field experiment test for the existence of ethnic discrimination in the hiring process," SULCIS Working Papers 2007:7, Stockholm University, Linnaeus Center for Integration Studies - SULCIS.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe
    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics

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