Men with foreign names face higher hiring bias in Sweden

Job seekers in Sweden with non-Swedish names face hiring bias. Male applicants experience stronger discrimination than female applicants with foreign names. This comes from a Stockholm University study published by news site The Local.

Researchers sent over 7,000 fake applications for 15 job types on Platsbanken. They used typical Swedish names, Arabic names, and names from former Yugoslavia. The study found major differences depending on the job sector.

For cleaning and driving jobs, names made no difference at all. However, for teachers, preschool teachers, and IT technicians, foreign surnames received fewer responses.

Sociologist Magnus Bygren explained that men are often seen as representatives of outside groups. He noted that employers often simply prefer what is familiar to them.

The research data was gathered between 2013 and 2018. Bygren believes these hiring patterns remain true in Sweden today. Discrimination is strongest during the first contact stage. Getting a foot in the door reduces bias significantly. Bygren advises foreign job seekers to keep sending out applications.