Pakistani in the UK and Norway: different contexts, similar disadvantage. Results from a comparative field experiment on hiring discrimination

Abstract

Experimental research on ethnic discrimination in labour markets is often concerned with individual-level mechanisms. Structural macro-level drivers of discrimination, however, are more difficult to address. We present the results of a harmonized correspondence test conducted in Norway and the UK, two contexts that differ significantly along several dimensions expected to matter for the prevalence of ethnic discrimination. We focus on discrimination towards a particular minority group that holds a socio-economically disadvantaged position in both national contexts: Pakistani migrants and their descendants. Based on the higher degree of labour market flexibility and better developed anti-discrimination policies in Britain, we expect there a lower level of discrimination than in Norway. This expectation is further reinforced by comparing the immigration histories of the two countries: in Britain, colonial ties and a longer history of immigration could potentially reduce discriminatory behaviour towards ethnic minorities in general. We show that in both countries Pakistani applicants receive significantly fewer positive responses from employers than the majority group. In line with expectations, discrimination is more severe in Norway, although this cross-national difference is only statistically significant when using a strict definition of positive callbacks. More nuanced analyses reveal an additional negative effect of disclosing one's affiliation to Islam, which further reduces the likelihood of Pakistani applicants to receive a callback in Norway.

The Racialized and Gendered Workplace: Applying an Intersectional Lens to a Field Experiment on Hiring Discrimination in Five European Labor Markets

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Understanding the “How” and “Why” Aspects of Racial-Ethnic Discrimination: A Multimethod Approach to Audit Studies

“…Second, some of the highest levels of racial-ethnic discrimination in hiring among European and North American countries are found in France and Sweden (Quillian et al 2019). Additional work from the excellent cross-national harmonized series of audit studies on racial-ethnic discrimination across Europe and the United States is likely to provide even more nuanced analyses (Di Statsio et al 2019; Lancee 2019; Lancee et al 2019; Larsen and Di Stasio 2019; Ramos, Thijssen and Coenders 2019; Thijssen et al 2019; Veit and Thijssen 2019; Yemane and Fernández-Reino 2019).…”

Strukturell rasisme i en strukturelt inkluderendevelferdsstat?

“…Legger man den empiriske forskningen på diskriminering av innvandrere og etterkommere av innvandrere i Norge til grunn, kan man ved første øyekast få inntrykk av at teorier om strukturell rasisme har stor relevans. Eksperimentelle studier har over en tiårsperiode dokumentert at norskpakistanske jobbsøkere har vesentlig lavere sannsynlighet for å kalles inn til jobbintervju sammenlignet med likt kvalifiserte søkere med norske navn (Birkelund, Heggebø, & Rogstad, 2016;Larsen & Di Stasio, 2019;Midtbøen & Rogstad, 2012). Tilsvarende studier har funnet etnisk diskriminering i boligmarkedet (Andersson, Jakobsson, & Kotsadam, 2012).…”