'Ethnic names' struggle in job search

17 June 2009 | 03:07:22 PM | Source: SBS staff and agencies

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A study has found people with ethnic names find it tougher to get job interviews (Reuters)

New research by the Australian National University shows job applicants with 'ethnic' names find it tougher to get an interview than those with Anglo-Saxon names.

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Economists at the university, Professors Alison Booth and Andrew Leigh, disseminated 4000 fake CVs to job advertisers in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to test the level of discrimination.

Researchers found that applicants with Chinese names were more likely to be knocked back than applicants with Anglo-Saxon names.

Job seekers with Italian, Middle Eastern and Indigenous names also had a lower chance of being called in for an interview.

All the fake CVs, regardless of the ethnicity of the names, stated the applicant had studied in Australia.

"By varying the names on the CVs, we were able to estimate precisely the extent of hiring discrimination," Professor Booth says.

"Because all other characteristics are held constant, we can be sure that we are actually measuring discrimination."

Professor Leigh says minorities would fare better in the labour market if they Anglicised their names.

"It certainly suggests Anglicising your name increases the chance of getting a job interview," Prof Leigh told reporters in Canberra.

 

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25 Sep 2009 10:23 AEST

:)

From: nz

discrimination still exists

discrimination still exists whether its with ethnic names or skin colours...names are just labels to a person so what a person is should not be jusged by its names...names are just words..names do not hold a person's life history and how they perceive the world or hold the IQ scores... please do not judge a book by its cover :)

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04 Aug 2009 7:37 AEST

Purbopathik

From: Washington DC, USA

This has to be true for USA as well

I have lived and searched for work in both Australia and USA and I feel that it is hard to find a job as a non anglo-saxon.
But then it is also true for USA as well -- the discrimination is on a different level - it is whites trying not to hire non-whites.
It is not easy for a non white person to get a supervisory or managerial position in the US.

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19 Jun 2009 9:21 AEST

Mariee Turner

From: St Marys Syd

Family worker

That is not the case in our program we do employ many different eitnic groups that have the qualifications to fill the possition .

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19 Jun 2009 8:52 AEST

steve

From: canberra

Maybe

Your name doesnt look good to me, so I wont select you. its like person to person, when you first time meet you can definitely feel you like or not from the way they communicate with each other. NORMAL,,, no discrimination.

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18 Jun 2009 20:36 AEST

Ruba

From: Melbourne

Ms

That is too true about ethnic names not getting you an interview. I have over 19 years experience in my field. I have a Masters degree from the UK and my Bachelors degree is from the USA. I applied to over 45 job openings over a 6 month period... and many didn't have the decency to send a letter of apology , let alone give me a chance for an interview.

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18 Jun 2009 18:59 AEST

Chris Webb

From: Hong Kong - Sydney

Civil Engineer

It is shame & unfairness added to the Australia’s worldwide reputation despite the huge land we live in and lots of work opportunities available just for Anglo-Saxon background!....As Australian work overseas I feel shame because this article forwarded to me from Europe! Nothing else I can say except that hiring people should consider the education and experience of candidates not their name, background, colours or any other Factors.

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