Impact on Employment: The results of this study indicate that, all other things being equal, race is still an important factor in the American labor market.A black applicant's race certainly has negative effects on their employment prospects on average. Resumes with white-sounding names received 50 percent more callbacks than those with black-sounding names. But, regional differences are important to note - for example, in Chicago, employers located in black neighborhoods discriminate less against black applicants.

Based on researchers' estimates, a white-sounding name yielded as many more callbacks as an additional eight years of experience. There were no statistically significant differences in discrimination across the tested occupations, industries, and employers, and the level of discrimination was very similar in both cities. Federal contractors and employers who list "Equal Opportunity Employer" in their ad discriminated as much as other employers.

Some qualities that we might think would level the playing field had minimal effects. For example, there is evidence that the returns to improving credentials for white applicants are much higher than for black applicants. For resumes with white-sounding names, higher quality resumes received 30 percent more callbacks than low quality ones. For resumes with black-sounding names, the higher quality resumes did not receive significantly more callbacks. White individuals living in richer, more educated, or whiter neighborhoods also have higher callback rates, but black individuals do not benefit any more than white individuals from this neighborhood effect.