U of T Researchers Find That Foreign Sounding Names Hurt a Resume

Applicants in Toronto with English-sounding names are 47% more likely to receive a call back.

It may seem like the most arbitrary part of your resume, but it can still cost you a job. If you have a foreign sounding name, your resume may get passed over in favour of Greg Brown’s application.

This is according to a study done by the University of Toronto researchers Philip Oreopoulos and Diane Dechief. Their data shows that job applicants in Toronto with English-sounding names are 47 per cent more likely to receive a call back, versus applicants with Indian or Chinese names. That number is still 39 per cent in Montreal and 20 per cent in Vancouver.

Their research shows people with Greek, Chinese and Indian names are less likely to hear back from employers, even if their experience and education is all Canada-based.

Their study is emblematic of the struggles that newcomers have in finding gainful employment. According to the Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative, the jobless rate for Canadian-born workers was 5.4 per cent last month, but 8.3 per cent for all immigrants and a daunting 13.4 per cent for recent immigrants.

It’s also estimated that recent immigrants earn wages that are 49 per cent lower than the salaries earned by native-born workers, even if they have impressive qualifications and education.