Stat of the [Mon]Day: Employment Discrimination

A study conducted by Princeton University Professors Bruce Western and Devah Pager found the following disparities in employment opportunity:

• "White males with criminal records were just as likely as blacks with no criminal history to find employment"
• "Having a criminal record reduced the number of positive responses from employers by 57% for black applicants but only by 35% for their white counterparts"

Here's some more info on the study:

As part of the study, which began in February 2004, 13 applicants went on nearly 3,500 job interviews with 1,470 private companies. All jobs were entry level.

The men were given the same qualifications and experience, while criminal history was randomly assigned.

You can read more about this study here.