Race at Work: A Field Experiment of Discrimination in Low-Wage Labor Markets

Racial progress over the past four decades has lead some researchers and policy makers to proclaim the problem of discrimination solved. But the debates about discrimination have been obscured by a lack of reliable evidence. In this study, we adopt an experimental audit approach to formally test patterns of discrimination in the low-wage labor market of New York City. By using matched teams of individuals to apply for real entry-level jobs, it becomes possible to directly measure the extent to which race/ethnicity, in the absence of other disqualifying characteristics, reduce employment opportunities among equally qualified applicants. We find that whites and Latinos are systemically favored over black job seekers. Indeed, the effect of discrimination is so large that white job seekers just released from prison do no worse than blacks without criminal records. Relying on both quantitative and qualitative data from our testers ' experiences, this study presents striking evidence of the continuing significance of race in shaping the employment opportunities of low-wage workers. 2 Despite a booming U.S. labor market through the late 1990s, racial differences in employmen