Am I better off changing my name to “Alexander”? Ethnic discrimination and its effect on wages in the Russian labor market-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Am I better off changing my name to “Alexander”? Ethnic discrimination and its effect on wages in the Russian labor market

Published:2022-04-15 Issue:1/2 Volume:43 Page:178-196
ISSN:0144-333X
Container-title:International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
language:en
Short-container-title:IJSSP

Author:

Shakhbazov Mekhraly,Badreldin Ahmed^ORCID

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate whether ethnic discrimination is present in the Russian labor market and whether it has a significant economic effect on the potential salaries of applicants.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a correspondence audit for four experimental male applicants with identical professional and personal characteristics while differing only in applicant name as a signal of applicants' ethnic background. Implied ethnicities include Russians, Armenians, Jews and North Caucasians. Résumés were sent out to 800 real unique vacancies on behalf of the experimental applicants with a geographic focus on the capital Moscow.FindingsThe results of the analysis suggest that there is a significant difference in treatment in both response rate and potential average salaries on ethnic grounds. Disadvantaged groups were found to be systematically pushed into jobs paying 15% less monthly wage.Originality/valueThe study investigates the existence of ethnic discrimination in the Russian labor market and furthermore economically quantifies the effects of discrimination.

Publisher

Emerald

Subject

General Economics, Econometrics and Finance,Sociology and Political Science

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