Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

The Downsides of Ban-the-Box Laws

by July 29, 2024
July 29, 2024
The Downsides of Ban-the-Box Laws

Jeffrey Miron

Ban-the-box laws prohibit “checkboxes” that ask job applicants whether they have a criminal record. These laws aim to make it easier for people who have served sentences to reintegrate into society. 

BTB laws, however, interfere with employers’ freedom to hire whomever they wish. It matters, therefore, whether BTB laws achieve their stated goal, and with what side effects. 

Cato Research Brief no. 392 

examines the effectiveness of [BTB] laws and finds that they have had no discernible impact on employment for young men without college degrees. 

This result is plausible, in part, because most BTB laws allow employers to ask about criminal history later in the hiring process. Thus, employers can still get this information, but at the cost of wasted time for them and applicants. 

Earlier research has found negative effects of BTB laws: 

BTB policies decrease the probability of being employed by 3.4 percentage points (5.1%) for young, low-skilled black men, and by 2.3 percentage points (2.9%) for young, low-skilled Hispanic men.

The likely explanation is that when employers cannot see applicants’ criminal records, they avoid hiring those they regard as more likely to have such a history, namely, young and lower-skilled black and Hispanic men. But when employers can review criminal histories, they are less likely to discriminate against all minority candidates. 

A further negative of BTB laws is that they crowd out a more fundamental goal: reducing the number of criminals by eliminating laws, like drug prohibition, that should never have existed in the first place.

Lemoni Matsumoto, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, contributed to this article.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Will Incumbents Block Innovations in Veterinary Health Care Delivery?
next post
How long will the Kamala Harris honeymoon in the polls against Donald Trump last?

You may also like

Hawley Wants to Restrict Funding of Political Speech

November 3, 2023

Trade Policies of Both Parties Ignore What Most...

September 4, 2024

Federal Court Rules FISA Section 702 “Back Door”...

January 22, 2025

The U.S. Economy Has Been Indeterminate Since the...

August 1, 2023

Latest Attempt to Restore Financial Privacy: the Saving...

September 25, 2024

Introducing Defending Globalization, a new Cato Institute Project

September 13, 2023

Cato Report: Zero Chance of Being Killed by...

August 28, 2023

Juries as a Bulwark Against Oppression

January 13, 2025

Fast Facts about Social Security

May 7, 2024

Education Was an Important Election Issue, But Not...

November 8, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud

      June 6, 2025
    • Everyone Talks About Leaving a Better Planet for Our Children: Why Don’t We Leave Better Children for Our Planet?

      June 6, 2025
    • MARK HALPERIN: Democrats try to construct a Frankenstein candidate while JD Vance gains momentum for 2028

      June 6, 2025
    • ‘Gone too far’: GOP lawmakers rally around Trump after Musk raises Epstein allegations

      June 6, 2025
    • Democrats begin to embrace Musk amid Trump spat after party railed against him as a ‘dictator’

      June 6, 2025
    • Trump administration defends US and Israeli sovereignty with new sanctions against four ICC judges

      June 5, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,149)
    • Investing (2,011)
    • Politics (15,544)
    • Stocks (3,130)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved