On the Relationship between Criminal History and Racial Discrimination in Labor Markets: Evidence from the Field

Abstract

It has been shown in the literature that any contact at all with the criminal justice system presents an individual with a significant challenge in obtaining employment. It has also been shown that African-Americans are more likely than any other demographic to have contact with the criminal justice system. The discrimination against African-Americans in labor markets has been well documented. This paper seeks to determine whether or not that discrimination is taste-based or statistical, since statistically African-Americans are more likely to be ex-convicts.