Do Swiss Citizens of Immigrant Origin Face Hiring Discrimination in the Labour Market?

The extent to which discrimination in employment disadvantages children of immigrants is a major question both in economic research on labour market and in sociological studies of integration. This working paper contributes to the debate by reporting findings of a correspondence test in which pairs of equally qualified Swiss citizens –one from the majority group and one from one minority immigrant group –apply at job openings all over the country. Results show that children of immigrants holding Swiss qualifications and dual nationality need to send 30% more applications to receive a call-back for an interview when applying for apprenticeship level occupations. Chances of dual citizens to be invited to a job interview are largely the same across linguistic regions. These results partially confirm the findings of a correspondence test conducted in 2003. Unequal treatment is less frequent in occupations requiring tertiary level education compared to occupations requiring acompleted apprenticeship; this is however not the case for Swiss candidates of Kosovar descent. The results suggest the need for further inquiry in occupational differences and ethnic hierarchies in the Swiss labour market.