The stigma of a criminal record in the labour market in Spain: An experimental study

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine whether the stigma of a criminal record should be considered in understanding the precarious conditions of individuals with convictions in the Spanish labour market. Previous studies have been unable to separate this effect from other explanations such as low levels of education or the breakdown of networks resulting from the conviction. Following Pager (2007), this study adopts the experimental methodology of the audit tests, in which matched fictitious curricula vitae, differing only in the mention of a conviction, are sent to real job offers, to verify whether there is a difference in the number of responses to each CV. The results show that skilled former offenders are discriminated in the Spanish labour market as a result of the stigma of a criminal record.