Racism and the job market

[PLC1]

Here is an eye opening study about racism in the job market. It was published in 2003, yet little has been made of it.

Which is the biggest barrier to obtaining that all important first job; a criminal record, or a black skin? The answer might just surprise you. I know it did me.

The study offers this fictional scenario:

A young, white, male high school graduate with a felony conviction applies in person for entry level jobs as a driver, a dishwasher, a laborer, warehouse worker and production worker that are advertised in the newspaper and admits to employers that he served 18 months in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to sell.

A young black man with similar education, work history and style of presentation, but with no criminal record, applies for the same jobs.

Who do you think is more likely to be called back?

If you picked the white man with the felony conviction, you guessed right.

 

[D.C..]

i'm not one to discredit racism as something "in the past" but this fictional scenario proves nothing

 

[PLC1]

i'm not one to discredit racism as something "in the past" but this fictional scenario proves nothing

Do you really mean to say that, even though the applicants were actors and not real, the fact that employers were more likely to call back the ones that they thought were white convict than the black with no record proves nothing?

How so?

 

[Hanno]

I haven't found the original publication, but it seems like soft data - I wonder for instance, what the actors' motivations were, their height, mannerisms.

Another thing is, it's possible to be overqualified - turnover costs money. It says white ex-offenders - I wonder if they tried a white person with a clean record, and a black claiming to be an ex-con - if not...

Finally, I don't love that they went in on false pretexts - there's some ethical issues/confounds there.

 

[ASPCA4EVER]

Clipped from the article: Still, employers are averse to taking risks on black applicants, whom they perceive to have criminal tendencies, the study says. For example, black testers were more likely to be asked by employers whether they had any convictions, yet none of the white testers were asked about their criminal histories up front.

IMO...in order to understand the disparity of employment in America we have to look at the behind the scenes way of the 'Human Resources/Administrations' daily practises for conducting interviews...this report/article seems to have been very well planned and thoughtfully executed as well!

Clipped from the article: "It shows there's a great deal of work that has to be done in the education of employers and working on attitudes," says Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. "This type of racial disparity in employment practices really impacts us as a region. It impacts our work force, and it really impacts how the inner-city moves forward."

Pager chose Milwaukee for her experiment because it is representative of most large metropolitan areas in its size, racial demographics and industrial base, she says.

Excellent article and I thank you for providing us with the opportunity to read it. Hope more of this community will read this entire article!

In my little area of America; the standard practise for 'AGE' discrimination has been a steady workable plan for about 25-35 years...the age glass ceiling around here for WOMEN is about 40 - 60 age group for administrative/clerical/customer service type jobs.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

i'm not one to discredit racism as something "in the past" but this fictional scenario proves nothing

....Especially when you consider how much effort "conservatives" have put into helping minorities "pull themselves up, by their (own) bootstraps"!!!!​

*​

"It's very interesting when you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change America." — Dakar, Senegal, July 8, 2003

 

[PLC1]

....Especially when you consider how much effort "conservatives" have put into helping minorities "pull themselves up, by their (own) bootstraps"!!!!​

I couldn't find that quote anywhere in Bush's speech in Dakar. I did find this one, though, right here:

"By a plan known only to Providence, the stolen sons and daughters of Africa helped to awaken the conscience of America. The very people traded into slavery helped to set America free."

Could it be that you just pulled the above quote out of some dark and damp place known only to yourself?

 

[Andy]

The problem is, some Black people keep doing things that cause people not to want to hire them.

My employer recently hired on a black man to work in my area. He told everyone he didn't care if he kept his job, and said this openly. (makes a good impression). He said he was going to quit the instant his old job called him back. (another great impression). He showed up late. Did lousy work. Had a couple no-calls no-shows, and finally was fired.

Now unfortunately, what is my employer going to think the next time a black man applies for the job?

And I could list you roughly a dozen examples like that, that I have personally experienced. Anecdotal? Yes. But given my impressions of a few dozens black co-workers I've worked with, I can see why companies don't want to hire them.

The few good hard working black men I've met, have all done really well, with promotions into high paying jobs.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Could it be that you just pulled the above quote out of some dark and damp place known only to yourself?

Still puzzled by hyper-text, are you????


​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

The problem is, some Black people keep doing things that cause people not to want to hire them.

My employer recently hired on a black man to work in my area. He told everyone he didn't care if he kept his job, and said this openly. (makes a good impression). He said he was going to quit the instant his old job called him back. (another great impression). He showed up late. Did lousy work. Had a couple no-calls no-shows, and finally was fired.

Now unfortunately, what is my employer going to think the next time a black man applies for the job?

Uhhhhhhhhhhh....that all Black-people are alike??



(Try to give us a tough-one, the next time.)
​

 

[Andy]

Uhhhhhhhhhhh....that all Black-people are alike??



(Try to give us a tough-one, the next time.)
​

That was kinda the point sparky. Here's your cookie for getting a right answer.

 

[PLC1]

Still puzzled by hyper-text, are you????


​

No, I'm puzzled as to why you would post bogus quotes, like:

It's very interesting when you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change America." — Dakar, Senegal, July 8, 2003

when you can't cite the source.

Until and unless you can prove that what you posted is real, I'll continue to doubt everything that you post, whether in hypertext, crayon, or magic marker.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

That was kinda the point sparky. Here's your cookie for getting a right answer.

Hey, you know....being a member of the "kinder, gentler", "conservative"-Amerika, how could I possibly have gotten that one wrong?

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[Andy]

Hey, you know....being a member of the "kinder, gentler", "conservative"-Amerika, how could I possibly have gotten that one wrong?

​

Honestly, you have a long history of getting everything wrong. So to me, it really is a surprise you got something right, despite it being the most obvious rhetorical question.