The Effects of a Criminal Record on Employment Opportunities for Black and White Job Seekers

Devah I. Pager, University of Wisconsin at Madison

This research investigates the employment of ex-offenders in Milwaukee, exploring the ways in which criminal records increasingly contribute to the economic disenfranchisement of low-wage workers. The project is comprised of two studies. The first, an employer audit, tests the effect of a criminal record on actual hiring decisions and assesses the extent to which this effect varies by race of applicant. The second, a survey of employers, gathers self-reported information about the considerations and concerns of employers in hiring entry-level workers with criminal records. Together, these two projects provide new information about the obstacles facing ex-offenders in the labor market, and offer a unique approach to the study of low-wage employment.