Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Job Hiring Potential

Abstract

Despite federal anti-discrimination protections covering many marginalized populations, socioeconomic status (SES) remains legally unprotected and understudied as a source of bias. Drawing on social signaling theory, status characteristics theory, and implicit bias theory, this study examined whether SES signals embedded in fabricated resumes influenced perceived hireability across the business, computer science, and nursing fields. A community sample (n = 96) completed a 2 (SES: High, Low) x 3 (Field) within-subjects survey evaluating three matched resume pairs (six resumes total) on hireability and perceived SES. More participants correctly identified the SES of each resume than not, although two resumes had “Can’t Tell” as the highest frequency response. Paired-sample t-tests revealed a significant hiring advantage for high-SES business resumes (t(95) = 2.01, p < 0.05, d = 0.21) with no significant differences in computer science or nursing. A large main effect of field was observed (F(2,190) = 38.92, p < .001), while the SES x Field interaction was not significant. McNemar tests revealed directional differences in SES perception accuracy, with low-SES signals more recognizable in business (p < .05) and high-SES more recognizable in nursing (p < .05). A mixed-effects regression found no significant association between conscious SES perceptions and hireability, suggesting that the bias operates implicitly. These findings extend theory to SES-based hiring evaluations and established field contexts as a moderator of class signal legibility. These findings underscore the need for further research on SES-based discrimination and structural hiring interventions to protect against discrimination based on socioeconomic background.