This paper presents the findings of a field experiment on hiring discrimination against ex-offenders in the Swedish labor market. Matched pairs of written job applications for fictitious male and female applicants with and without a past conviction of assault were sent to employers for nine different occupations. Results show that discrimination against ex-offenders exists, but the extent of it varies across occupations. The past conviction of assault was associated with 7–18 percentage point lower probability of receiving a positive employer response. Discrimination against ex-offenders was pronounced in female-dominated and high-skilled occupations. The magnitude of discrimination against ex-offenders did not vary by applicants’ sex.
CITATION STYLE
Ahmed, A. M., & Lång, E. (2017). The employability of ex-offenders: a field experiment in the Swedish labor market. IZA Journal of Labor Policy, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40173-017-0084-2
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