French of Maghreb Origins Victims of Employment Discrimination

When applying for a job in France, not the candidate’s qualifications and years of experience that determine if they would be hired. Surprisingly, there is another crucial mediating factor that guides the employers to their final decision. This factor is the candidates’ origins revealed through their names and surnames. In fact, people of North African origins, or whose identity suggests that they are of North African origin, are more likely to fall for employment discrimination.

The Institute for Public Policy (IPP) published Wednesday, November 24, based on recent large-scale testing, that the Maghrebian French face “very significant” hiring discrimination.

The study, which was reported by the French right-wing magazine Le Point, revealed that on average, at comparable quality, applications of Maghreb origins have a 31.5% less chance of being contacted by recruiters than those with a first and last name of French origin. The study was conducted under the aegis of the statistical service of the Ministry of Labor (Dares).

In brief, a person of North African origin must send more applications to find a job.

 

The Candidate Name Matters

The study, which was conducted under the auspices of the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Labor, relied on sending fake resumes in response to several thousand job offers in dozens of different professions (from kitchen clerk to production engineer to management controller). The success of applications is measured by recall rates, that is, the proportion of applications in which employers show an interest in the resume.

It turned out that to receive the same number of positive responses, a person who is supposed to be of North African descent “must send 1.5 times more applications than someone with the same CV but with a French name,” according to this survey conducted between December 1, 2019, and April 2021 (with an interruption during the first quarantine).

Discrimination is “lower, without being erased, among the most qualified employees,” also notes the study. Thus, discrimination is about twice as strong in low-skilled trades compared to that observed in skilled trades.

In addition, the alleged discrimination on the basis of origin “affects both male and female applicants.” The survey, which confirms other previous studies on discrimination on the basis of origin, had already been the subject of previous publications. Of the applications “of supposedly French origin,” the testing had shown the absence of salary differences, on average, between women and men.

 

France: The Highest Discrimination in Europe

Many studies stressed that discrimination is much stronger in France than in the rest of the European Union.

Discrimination in the labor market in France is widespread. An employer may discriminate against people because he dislikes them, or because he adopts a stereotype about them as a less productive category.

According to the study of Stéphane Carcillo and Marie-Anne Valfort entitled Combating discrimination in the labor market: “These discriminations are largely the result of cognitive biases: our taste for similar others, but also our tendency to distort reality through negative stereotypes towards people who do not look like us.”

On another side, the results of the Eurobarometer on discrimination in the European Union showed that almost two in three European citizens (64%) believe that discrimination based on ethnic origin is the most common form of discrimination in Europe, while eight French did. Ahead of discrimination based on sexual orientation (58%) and discrimination based on gender identity (56%), religion or belief (50%), disability (50%) and gender (37%). When French people were asked if discrimination based on skin color, ethnic origin or religion is widespread, nearly eight out of ten said “yes,” compared to just six out of ten Europeans (see graph).

This is also recalled by the authors of a study just published in France on discrimination in hiring (with a focus on ethnicity and sexual identity and not immigration).

According to an article in La Tribune citing this work, it is better to be called “Émilie Boyer and live in Rue Pasteur in Palaiseau than to be called Jamila Benchargui and inhabit La Grande Borne in Grigny.” At least in the private sector, since, according to researchers, in France inequalities in hiring are now lower in the public service.

 

Strain Jobs for Immigrants

A study published by the Direction of the Animation of Research, Studies and Statistics (Dares) analyzed the relationship of immigrants to the labor market. It elucidated that constraining and strained professions are the most occupied by immigrants.

In France, one in ten jobs is held by an immigrant, that is to say, a person born abroad, having acquired French nationality or not. The employment rate of immigrants aged 15 to 64 is 56%, a rate slightly lower than that of the rest of the population (65.8%).

Even though 17% of immigrants have a Bac+5 or more compared to only 14% of people born in France, the Dares report explains that the immigrants mainly work in the so-called “constraining” professions. “They occupy jobs linked to physical constraints, physical power, constraints of pace, repetitive work, periods of work during non-working days or apart from the usual working hours and a fragmentation of the working days.”

They are also over-represented in shortage occupations, that is to say occupations encountering recruitment difficulties due to a lack of available labor. “The more difficult the working conditions and the higher the recruitment tension, the greater the probability that the job will be occupied by an immigrant,” indeed summarizes the Dares report.

 

Repercussions on Economy and National Unity

The study of Stéphane Carcillo and Marie-Anne Valfort entitled Combating discrimination in the labor market listed the repercussions of discrimination on France’s economy and National unity.

The study pointed out that: “In addition to being ethically unacceptable, discrimination imposes considerable costs on our economy by reducing the demand for labor from discriminated groups. This lower demand decreases the wages of members of these groups and increases their difficulties in accessing employment. It may also confine them to less qualified positions than they might otherwise occupy.”

The study explained that one of the main consequences of this negative spiral is the increase of public finances. Indeed, the unemployment benefits and social transfers to those who are discriminated against will burden the state public expenditure.

In fact, it is not easy to estimate the real costs of discrimination in the labor market. However, available estimates suggest that the cost is considerable. 

The study emphasized that: “In France, a small reduction in the employment rate and wage gaps endured by people discriminated based on their gender and ethnic origin would yield 7% of GDP over 20 years, or 150 billion euros”

For instance, discrimination prevents the potential of the discriminated minority from being realized. Thus, the Market loses creative ideas and the ability to generate value as well as many skills and experience.

The study concluded by saying that: “Discrimination also generates mistrust and can drive discriminated populations into identity retrenchment. For example, Muslims living in American states where anti-Muslim acts increased the most following the September 11, 2001, attacks are, ten years later, displaying a more intransigent practice of their religion. Yet this trend was not at work before the attacks.”