Jews, Israelis may face discrimination in US job market, study finds

Jewish Americans and Israeli Americans may face “serious antisemitic discrimination in the labor market,” according to a study by the Anti-Defamation League.

Job candidates with Jewish names or characteristics on their resumes needed to send out 24 percent more applications to receive the same number of positive first responses from employers as Americans with Western European backgrounds, the study finds. Candidates with Israeli connections had to send out 39% more applications.

“This is groundbreaking evidence of serious antisemitic discrimination in the labor market,” says ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt. “On top of increasing antisemitic incidents and growing antisemitic beliefs, this landmark study illustrates the very real need for employers to take anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli prejudice more seriously, to have a workplace that works for everyone.”

For the study, labor economist Bryan Tomlin applied online for jobs using resumes and cover letters that were identical except for specific characteristics, including names, that would signal that applicants were Americans with Jewish, Israeli, or Western European backgrounds.

Some 3,000 resumes were sent out between May and October 2024 from applicants named Rebecca Cohen (Jewish American), Lia Avraham (Israeli-American), and Kristen Miller (Western European). Personal details provided were identical except for demographic signals — i.e., restaurant experience at Eli’s Jewish Diner compared to Martinelli’s Italian Diner.

Job postings were sourced from Craigslist because it is one of the few remaining online job boards where person-to-person email is the primary mode of interaction, the report says.

Each posting was sent a single inquiry from a single applicant which was randomly assigned. Resumes from Kristen Miller received 1,036 responses, while those from Rebecca Cohen got 1,002 responses, and Lia Avraham received 962 responses.

This methodology follows an approach similar to that used in other studies of discrimination against minorities in the labor market, the report noted.

US labor law prohibits discrimination based on religion or national origin in hiring decisions. However, Tomlin noted, “Without the benefit of a study of this kind, it is difficult, if not impossible, to prove adverse treatment in the labor market based on one’s religion or cultural identity.”

“This study shows that Jewish and Israeli Americans may be missing out on job opportunities just because of their identity, not their qualifications,” Tomlin adds. “It provides a start toward quantifying some of these more subtle but still harmful symptoms of antisemitism.”

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