SACOBSERVER.COM STAFF REPORT

Undercover tests conducted in 2003 by the Discrimination Research Center show that temporary employment agencies in California show significant preference for White applicants over African Americans.

Temporary employment agencies in San Francisco and Los Angeles favored White applicants over African American applicants by an average ratio of 3-1, according to undercover tests conducted in 2003.

The results come from 64 tests of San Francisco and Los Angeles temporary employment agencies conducted between May and November 2003 involving specially matched pairs of White and African American job applicants.

By ratios of 4-1 in Los Angeles and more than 2-1 in San Francisco, agencies favored White job applicants over slightly higher qualified African American applicants.

"African Americans seeking temporary work received less consideration in the form of fewer offers and less desirable jobs," said John Trasviña, director of the Discrimination Research Center. "We found consistent preference - more in Los Angeles than in San Francisco - for White applicants. While it may be subtle or unconscious, this preference blocks the path of equal employment opportunity for African Americans."

The 2003 results follow similar results from DRC's 1999 study of the same industry.

"Despite some improvement in San Francisco's record since our 1999 study, vigorous action must be taken by the industry and by civil rights law enforcement agencies in order to bring African Americans closer to a level playing field in the temporary employment industry," Trasviña said.

Some of the key findings of the DRC investigation are:

• White applicants were preferred 42 percent of the time by San Francisco temporary employment agencies over African American applicants who had greater relevant job experience and comparable education, interview and computer skills. African American job applicants were preferred in only 17 percent of the paired tests.
• White applicants were preferred 57 percent of the time by Los Angeles temporary employment agencies over their matched African American test counterparts. African Americans were preferred only 13 percent of the time.

Examples of preference for White job applicants include:

• The White applicant is offered a temporary or permanent job while the African American partner tester is not.
• The White applicant is granted an interview while the African American is not.
• The White applicant is offered a job with a higher salary or for a longer duration.
• The White applicant is offered a job more quickly than the African American applicant.
• The White applicant is not required to follow the agency's standard application procedure and thus has access to job opportunities that the African American applicant does not.
• The White applicant is offered coaching on how to present herself or improve her resume that is not afforded to the African American applicant.

The full report can be found online at www.impactfund.org.