Black-Sounding Names Get Fewer Job Interviews At Largest U.S. Employers

Large U.S. employers are 9.5% more likely to contact candidates with names that suggested they were white than those presumed to be Black, a new study has revealed.

Uncovering Systematic Bias

In a study by leading economists Evan Rose, Patrick Kline and Christopher Walters, approximately 80,000 fabricated résumés were sent out 10,000 jobs at 97 of the largest companies in the U.S.

The experiment explored racial and gender biases by alternating names on résumés to imply different ethnicities and genders—such as Latisha or Amy (suggesting Black or white women) and Lamar or Adam (suggesting Black or white men).

The study’s results showed that, on average, employers were 9.5% more likely to contact candidates with names that suggested they were white than those presumed to be Black. 

The findings mirror that of a similar study conducted two decades ago, where names like Emily and Greg received 50% more callbacks for interviews than those with names like Lakisha and Jamal.

Differences between industries

This study found that name bias varied across different industries, with one-fifth of the companies, predominantly in retail and auto sales, accounting for nearly half of this disparity.

Companies such as AutoNation and Genuine Parts Company demonstrated particularly significant biases, favouring white candidates far more than Black ones. 

AutoNation contacted presumed white candidates 43% more frequently, while Genuine Parts Company showed a 33% preference for the same group.

Despite the prevalent biases, some sectors showed negligible or no racial bias in their hiring. 

Industries such as food retail (e.g., Kroger), food production (e.g., Mondelez), freight (e.g., FedEx), and wholesale (e.g., Sysco) demonstrated more equitable treatment of candidates regardless of presumed race.

Industry Response and the Call for Change

Following the release of these findings, some companies have committed to reevaluating their hiring practices. 

Genuine Parts issued a statement asserting their ongoing efforts to enhance inclusivity and eliminate employment barriers. 

According to The New York Times, “We are always evaluating our practices to ensure inclusivity and break down barriers, and we will continue to do so,” said Heather Ross, a spokeswoman for Genuine Parts.

AutoNation, however, did not respond to the publication’s request for comments.