This study considers the implications of three distinct trends for the prevalence of discrimination against young men in low-wage labor markets. Rising inequality, sharply increasing incarceration rates, and growing numbers of immigrants each contribute to a population of low-wage workers with characteristics very different from those who may employ them. The low levels of trust characteristic of these employment relationships may be associated with discriminatory hiring practices that limit the employment opportunities available to certain groups of workers.

Paper by Devah Pager and Bruce Western of Princeton University, submitted to the Population Association of American Annual Meeting 2005