People with foreign-sounding names face significantly higher levels of discrimination when applying for jobs than when searching for housing, according to a major study conducted by researchers from Ghent University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), reported by De Morgen.
The research, which analysed 463 studies conducted between 2000 and 2024, found that job applicants perceived to belong to an ethnic minority receive, on average, 29% fewer positive responses than applicants with local-sounding names.
While discrimination was also present in the housing market, the gap was considerably smaller.
The researchers examined around 3,000 field experiments across Europe, North America and Asia, making it one of the largest comparative studies of discrimination in employment and housing.
The findings suggest that ethnic background remains a significant obstacle to entering the labour market.
By contrast, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds face greater discrimination when searching for accommodation.
According to the study, applicants receiving welfare benefits are more than 30% less likely to receive a positive response from landlords than other prospective tenants.
Interestingly, researchers found little evidence of similar discrimination against benefit recipients in recruitment processes, De Morgen reported.
"We somewhat expected that result," said Louise Devos, researcher at UGent to the flemish daily.
"At the end of the day, it is the landlord who bears the risk if the rent is not paid."
The study notes that discrimination in these cases was linked to the source of income rather than the amount earned.
Researchers reportedly say the reasons behind stronger ethnic discrimination in hiring remain unclear.
One possible explanation is that employers fear negative reactions from customers or colleagues towards candidates from minority backgrounds. The Belgian findings broadly mirror the international results.
One notable exception concerns discrimination based on sexual orientation, which researchers found to be relatively rare in Belgium compared with other countries included in the analysis.
The study's authors argue that policymakers should adopt targeted anti-discrimination measures tailored to the relevant market.
In labour market, Devos reportedly points to anonymous recruitment procedures as a potential way to reduce bias against ethnic minority candidates.
For the housing market, she stressed the importance of expanding access to affordable, high-quality social housing, according to De Morgen.
"It is already difficult to find housing when you have a low income, and discrimination makes it even harder," she reportedly said.
Devos also called for greater transparency around field tests already commissioned by the Flemish Government to detect discrimination, De Morgen reported.
"The results rarely become public," she reportedly said. "There is a strong reliance on sectors themselves to monitor and address the problem."
