Race, Criminal History, and Job Applications

Over at Prawfsblawg, Michael O'Hear reviews Devah Pager's new book Marked: Race, Crime, and Finding Work in an Era of Mass Incarceration (U. Chicago Pres 2007).  Pager sent

matched pairs of individuals (called testers) to apply for real job openings in order to see whether employers respond differently to applicants on the basis of selected characteristics.  The current study included four male testers, two blacks and two whites, matched into two teams--the two black testers formed one team, and the two white testers formed the second team.  The testers were college students from Milwaukee who were matched on the basis of age, race, physical appearance, and general style of self-presentation.  The testers were assigned fictitious resumes that reflected equivalent levels of education and work experience.  In addition, within each team, one auditor was randomly assigned a criminal record for the first week; the pair then rotated which member presented himself as an ex-offender for each successive week of employment searches . . . .

O'Hear explains Pager's findings:

For the white testers, Pager found that a criminal record reduced the likelihood of a callback by 50 percent.  For the black testers, a criminal record reduced the chances of a callback by 60 percent. " A criminal record," she notes, "can thus confirm negative stereotypes against blacks"--a finding that is especially troubling in light of the documented racial disparities affecting so many other aspects of the criminal justice system.  "[T]he findings of this study suggest that black offenders may be doubly disadvantaged: not only are blacks more likely to be incarcerated than whites; according to the findings presented here, they may also be more strongly affected by the stigma of a criminal record."

The impact of race on job application success has been known for some time.  What makes Pager's research unique, however, is her addition of the criminal-record variable.  I'm not at all surprised at her findings -- I would have expected an even larger disparity. 

rb