‘Gay’ CVs are more likely to be ignored, study reveals

CVs that suggest an applicant is gay are far more likely to be rejected by employers in the United States than those of straight candidates, new research has revealed.

CVs that suggest an applicant is gay are far more likely to be rejected by employers in the United States than those of straight candidates, new research has revealed.

The results of the study by Harvard social scientist Andras Tilcsik found a job applicant’s CV that suggested he or she was gay were 40% less likely to be asked for an interview than a fellow candidate whose resume did not hint at any homosexuality, the Daily Mail reports. 

The research involved CVs being sent to 1,769 companies across the United States, including one set of CVs for the treasurer of a collegiate gay organisation suggesting the candidate was gay.

The results of the study also revealed differences between regions, with the ‘gay’ applicant more likely to be given an interview in western and northeastern states than in the South and Midwest.

Tilcsik said: “This doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no discrimination in those states.

“What this does show is that discrimination in white-collar employment is substantially stronger for the southern and Midwestern states in the sample.”