Measuring labour differences between natives, non-natives, and natives with an ethnic-minority background

•We sent 1032 fictitious job applications in response to a set of real job openings.•Natives with an ethnic-minority background and non-natives face comparable occupational access constraints.•Natives with an ethnic-minority background and non-natives are sorted into similarly lower paid vacancies.•An ethnic name regardless of one's nationality generates unequal treatments.•Productivity uncertainties and distastes might lead to firms' unequal treatments.

Through a field study we measure differences in employment outcomes between natives, non-natives, and natives with an ethnic-minority background. It is suggested that the joint effect of productivity uncertainties and distastes against ethnic-minority groups should be higher for non-natives than for natives with an ethnic-minority background. However, it is revealed that both non-natives and natives with an ethnic-minority background face comparable occupational access constraints and are sorted into similarly lower paid vacancies. An ethnic name regardless of one's nationality is enough to generate unequal treatments.