Ethnic Discrimination in the Dutch Labor Market

This study investigates ethnic discrimination in the Dutch labor market, using field experiments. Two thousand eighty applications were sent to 1340 job vacancies; one applicant had a Dutch-sounding name, the other a name that signaled immigrant descent. Our aims were (a) to test for the persistence of discrimination in the Dutch labor market; (b) to study the interactions of ethnic background with job characteristics; (c) to study the complexity of discrimination against a background of multiple group membership. Results indicate that discrimination continues to be a problem in selection procedures. Interactions with job characteristics and multiple group membership are discussed.