Weight-Based Discrimination in the Italian Labor Market: an Analysis of the Interaction with Gender and Ethnicity
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Weight-Based Discrimination in the Italian Labor Market: an Analysis of the Interaction with Gender and Ethnicity Giovanni Busetta 1 & Maria Gabriella Campolo 1 & Demetrio Panarello 2 Received: 22 February 2018 / Accepted: 20 July 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract
Access to the Italian job market is undermined by several kinds of discrimination influencing the opportunities for individuals to obtain a job. In this study, we analyze together the impact of three of the most relevant kinds of discrimination operating in the Italian labor market: gender, race, and weight. Our aim is to assess whether gender and race either increase or decrease the impact of weight-based discrimination. In this respect, we submit a set of fictitious résumés including photos of either obese or thin applicants in response to real online job offers. Our results indicate that the strongest kind of discrimination operating in the Italian labor market is the one connected to the candidate’s geographical origin. Moreover, we find discrimination based on body weight to be more relevant within immigrants than within natives, and gender gap appears to be higher within the obese candidates’ group compared to the normal-weight candidates’ one. This last result is particularly relevant, as the growing rates of obesity forecasted for the next years could in turn produce an increase in the gender gap, which in Italy is already massive. Keywords Correspondence test . Employment discrimination . Economics of ethnic minorities . Hiring process . Body weight . Obesity
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-02009456-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
* Demetrio Panarello [email protected] Giovanni Busetta [email protected] Maria Gabriella Campolo [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
G. Busetta et al.
1 Introduction The stereotype of overweight people concerns personality traits and behaviors which distinguish them from normal-weight individuals. On the one hand, they are commonly considered to be lazy, greedy, and selfish; on the other, they are perceived to be fun, loving, generous, and trustworthy (Galper and Weiss 1975). The existence of this stereotype is confirmed by anecdotal reports and casual observation, even if its nature remains empirically vague (Larkin and Pines 1979). Studying the reasons underlying discrimination against overweight people is of great interest, especially with regard to the labor market, with all the social and economic implications that this entails. Following the results obtained by Larkin and Pines (1979), overweight individuals are considered to be significantly less desirable employees, being them perceived as less competent, less productive, not industrious, disorganized, indecisive, inactive and less successful. Most of the early studies on obesity use BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine whether the labor market penalties for obesity are due to disc
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