Same Education, Different Treatment

Abstract

In this study we examine employment discrimination against ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) academic graduates in Israel. During the last decade, attitudes towards higher education and employment within ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel have shifted dramatically, with a growing number of graduates seeking to integrate into the general workforce. During the years 2002-2012, the number of ultra-Orthodox students grew by 1000% and this growth trend is still ongoing. Using questionnaires and interviews, we followed the entire job search process of 492 graduates of the same college, half of them belonging to the ultra-Orthodox community and the other half belonging to the general group. We found that although ultra-Orthodox candidates took longer to find a job, received fewer responses from potential employers, and received fewer invitations for job interviews, they experienced a similar level of job acceptance after being interviewed. We argue that personal interaction between employers and candidates can overcome initial negative biases. Policies encouraging direct communication between minorities/immigrants and the general population may thus have positive influence on the job search process. The conclusions of this study may be applied to other minority groups who share the same language with the general population such as second generation immigrants or other ethnic minorities.