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Asian names discriminated against: Study

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-22 08:43

VANCOUVER, Canada: Jobseekers in Canada fare better if their names sound British than people with names from Pakistan, China or India, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Researchers sent 6,000 fake resumes to small and mid-sized employers advertising jobs in Toronto, Canada's largest metropolis.

Among the fake applicants with Canadian education and experience, employers called back 16 percent of those with English-sounding names, such as Jill Wilson or John Martin. Only 11 percent of applicants with Asian-sounding names, such as Sana Khan or Lei Li, were called back, said economist Philip Oreopoulos of the University of British Columbia.

"The magnitude of (the difference) was larger than I would have imagined," he said. "The findings suggest that a distinct foreign-sounding name may be a significant disadvantage on the job market."

The economist said more research is needed to determine whether the results would be similar with large businesses, which were not included in the study, and whether the discriminatory behavior was intentional or was due to employers flipping quickly through resumes and making "subconscious stereotype decisions".

AFP