Differential labor market outcomes of immigrants compared to ethnic majority natives have become a major concern of policymakers and scholars in recent years. One common explanation for this disparity is discrimination in hiring and promotion. While previous research has examined the effect of various macro- and micro-level factors on levels of ethno-racial discrimination, no study to date has explored the role of physical attractiveness of minorities in
hiring decisions. While physical attractiveness is generally beneficial across a wide range of domains, prior research suggests that the size of this benefit may vary by gender and race or ethnicity. To explore how these factors affect labor market outcomes, we conduct a randomized correspondence test in the German labor market, sending nearly 4,000 applications to real job openings. We investigate hiring discrimination in eight occupations across different levels of applicants’ physical attractiveness for women and men of different ethnic origins (German, Turkish, Greek, and Danish) as signaled through pictures on the résumé. Results will indicate whether highly attractive immigrants benefit from their physical appearances to the same extent that non-immigrants do, and whether this effect varies by gender, ethnicity, and/or the availability of performance information.
