Race-based discrimination in the U. S. labor market has been studied for decades. Kirschenman and Neckerman (1991) highlight the ways employers perceive race. The authors of class and space, employers make decisions regarding candidates and their potential input in the development of the organization. Importantly, employees do not see the black workforce as homogenous, which has a considerable impact on their choices. Low-class black candidates are often regarded as less productive and more prone to unethical and even criminal behavior. Employers, irrespective of their race, believe that poor blacks are more prepared to break the law or some norms due to the financial burden they experience. These people are also seen as low-skilled workers who are likely to underperform.
Space is another signal for employers who often discriminate against those living in inner cities. For employers, the residents of the inner city are likely to be associated with criminal activity, as well as a lack of education and skills. A typical inner-city representative for employers is a Black unskilled person with a criminal past. At the same time, the dwellers of suburbs are often pictured as white high-profile professionals with a high level of education. Based on such perspectives and misconceptions, employers eagerly offered jobs to whites or black people pertaining to a middle or higher class and those living in the suburbs rather than inner cities. Kirschenman and Neckerman (1991) also note that candidates tend to lie about their place of living and their socioeconomic statuses, trying to look like the representatives of other social groups. Thus, space and class are also important signals of race-based discrimination informing employers’ decisions.
Reference
Kirschenman, J., & Neckerman, K. M. (1991). We’d love to hire them, but…”: The meaning of race for employers. The Urban Underclass, 203(1), 203–232.