Racial disparities persist throughout the employment process, with African Americans experiencing significant barriers compared to whites. This article advances the understanding of racial labor market stratification by bringing new theoretical insights and original data to bear on the ways social networks shape racial disparities in employment opportunities. We develop and articulate two pathways through which networks may perpetuate racial inequality in the labor market: network access and network returns. In the first case, African American job seekers may receive fewer job leads through their social networks than white job seekers, limiting their access to employment opportunities. In the second case, black and white job seekers may utilize their social networks at similar rates, but their networks may differ in effectiveness. Our data, with detailed information about both job applications and job offers, provide the unique ability to adjudicate between these processes. We find evidence that black and white job seekers utilize their networks at similar rates, but network-based methods are less likely to lead to job offers for African Americans. We then theoretically develop and empirically test two mechanisms that may explain these differential returns: network placement and network mobilization. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for scholarship on racial stratification and social networks in the job search process.

中文翻译：

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求职过程中的种族和网络

种族差异在整个就业过程中持续存在，与白人相比，非裔美国人面临着重大障碍。本文通过引入新的理论见解和原始数据来探讨社交网络塑造就业机会中的种族差异的方式，从而促进了对种族劳动力市场分层的理解。我们开发并阐明了网络可能使劳动力市场中的种族不平等永久化的两种途径：网络访问和网络回报。在第一种情况下，非裔美国求职者通过社交网络获得的工作机会可能少于白人求职者，从而限制了他们获得就业机会的机会。在第二种情况下，黑人和白人求职者可能以相似的速度利用他们的社交网络，但他们的网络在效率上可能有所不同。我们的数据，通过有关工作申请和工作机会的详细信息，提供在这些流程之间进行裁决的独特能力。我们发现有证据表明，黑人和白人求职者以相似的比率利用他们的网络，但基于网络的方法不太可能为非裔美国人提供工作机会。然后，我们从理论上发展并实证检验了两种可能解释这些差异回报的机制：网络布局和网络动员。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对求职过程中种族分层和社交网络奖学金的影响。但基于网络的方法不太可能为非裔美国人提供工作机会。然后，我们从理论上发展并实证检验了两种可能解释这些差异回报的机制：网络布局和网络动员。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对求职过程中种族分层和社交网络奖学金的影响。但基于网络的方法不太可能为非裔美国人提供工作机会。然后，我们从理论上发展并实证检验了两种可能解释这些差异回报的机制：网络布局和网络动员。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对求职过程中种族分层和社交网络奖学金的影响。