The quantitative analysis does not lie. “Race at Work,” by by Devah Pager and Bruce Western details an experiment regarding hiring discrimination based on race. The study shows that black and Hispanic men receive significantly less positive call-backs from employers when compared to white men. This trend was found even when white men were portrayed as felons.
There is no doubt that the findings of this study confirm the existence of discrimination in today’s world as well as its contribution of labor market inequality. I wonder, however, if this tendency of employers to discriminate based on race and give preference to white males is rooted in explicit racism or unconscious bias. What can this labor discrimination be attributed to? Moreover, aren’t there laws that prohibit labor discrimination? Are the employers in this study breaking the law?
An article by the Editorial Board of The New York Times entitled “A Fair Chance After a Conviction” cites the Obama administration’s efforts to to reduce the “marginalization of more than 70 million Americans with criminal records that can shut them out of jobs.” There are certain guidelines in order that prohibit employers from “denying jobs to people based on arrest or conviction records.” The offense of doing so is supposedly take very seriously.
I do not doubt that the effective enforcement of these rules can benefit people of all races. However, I wonder why labor discrimination based on criminal history is taken so seriously while labor discrimination based on race is not. Most people would agree that individuals coming out of jail deserve the “chance to prove their qualifications.” Most people agree with the government’s efforts. If this true, then why is labor discrimination based on race debatable? Why is it questioned by so many? Why is it not a fact? The evidence is there. Going further, why is labor discrimination regarding gender inequality also disputed? A rational mind can recognize the prevalence of employment discrimination based on race and gender. Ultimately, these disadvantages based on irrational thought processing should be addressed. What is the point of conducting these labor studies if they cannot be applied in a positive way?
