What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80,000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses a study conducted by economists that sent 80,000 fake résumés to large U.S. companies to investigate hiring discrimination against Black applicants.

🙋 Q&A

[01] What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80,000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs

1. What were the key findings of the study?

• On average, employers contacted presumed white applicants 9.5% more often than presumed Black applicants.
• However, this practice varied significantly by firm and industry, with one-fifth of the companies responsible for nearly half of the gap in callbacks to white and Black applicants.
• Two companies, AutoNation and Genuine Parts Company, favored white applicants over Black applicants significantly more than others, contacting presumed white applicants 43% and 33% more often, respectively.

2. How did the researchers conduct the study?

• The researchers applied for jobs using made-up résumés with equivalent qualifications but different personal characteristics, such as changing applicants' names to suggest they were white or Black, and male or female.
• They sent around 80,000 fake résumés to approximately 100 of the largest companies in the country.

3. What was the purpose of the study? The study aimed to investigate hiring discrimination against Black applicants at large U.S. companies.