WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly prohibit discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of social class?

The term “social class” encompasses a diversity of terminology used across countries, and includes references to ‘caste’, ‘social background’, ‘economic standing’, ‘economic status’, ‘social condition’, ‘social origin’, ‘socioeconomic status’, ‘disadvantaged’, ‘property status, ‘education’, and others. For the purposes of this variable, the term “social class” captures all of these definitions.

Hiring or recruitment includes explicit legislative prohibitions against discrimination during pre-employment, or the hiring or recruitment process.

No prohibition means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in hiring or recruitment on the basis of social class. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment means that legislation prohibits discrimination in hiring or recruitment generally— for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of social class.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of social class, but does not explicitly address discrimination in hiring nor recruitment on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work.

Yes, social class-based prohibition means that legislation either: a) extends an explicit social class-based prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment, or b) extends a broad prohibition of social class-based workplace discrimination alongside a general prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment to all workers.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda - No prohibition

Austria - No prohibition

Bahamas - No prohibition

Bahrain - No prohibition

Bangladesh - No prohibition

Botswana - No prohibition

Brunei - No prohibition

Cameroon - No prohibition

Canada - No prohibition

Central African Republic - No prohibition

Chad - No prohibition

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Republic of the Congo - No prohibition

Cuba - No prohibition

Cyprus - No prohibition

Dominica - No prohibition

Ecuador - No prohibition

Egypt - No prohibition

Ethiopia - No prohibition

The Gambia - No prohibition

Germany - No prohibition

Greenland - No prohibition

Guinea-Bissau - No prohibition

Haiti - No prohibition

Iceland - No prohibition

India - No prohibition

Indonesia - No prohibition

Iran - No prohibition

Ireland - No prohibition

Israel - No prohibition

Jamaica - No prohibition

Japan - No prohibition

Jordan - No prohibition

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No prohibition

Kuwait - No prohibition

Laos - No prohibition

Lebanon - No prohibition

Liechtenstein - No prohibition

Luxembourg - No prohibition

Madagascar - No prohibition

Malaysia - No prohibition

Malta - No prohibition

Marshall Islands - No prohibition

Micronesia, Federated States of - No prohibition

Monaco - No prohibition

Myanmar - No prohibition

Nauru - No prohibition

The Netherlands - No prohibition

New Zealand - No prohibition

Nigeria - No prohibition

Norway - No prohibition

Oman - No prohibition

Pakistan - No prohibition

Palau - No prohibition

Papua New Guinea - No prohibition

The Philippines - No prohibition

Poland - No prohibition

Qatar - No prohibition

San Marino - No prohibition

Senegal - No prohibition

Seychelles - No prohibition

Sierra Leone - No prohibition

Singapore - No prohibition

Solomon Islands - No prohibition

South Sudan - No prohibition

Sri Lanka - No prohibition

St. Kitts and Nevis - No prohibition

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No prohibition

Sudan - No prohibition

Sweden - No prohibition

Switzerland - No prohibition

Thailand - No prohibition

Tonga - No prohibition

Trinidad and Tobago - No prohibition

Tunisia - No prohibition

United States of America - No prohibition

Uruguay - No prohibition

Vanuatu - No prohibition

Yemen - No prohibition

Zimbabwe - No prohibition

Afghanistan - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Andorra - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Bolivia - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Brazil - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

China - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Iraq - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Italy - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Saudi Arabia - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

United Arab Emirates - General prohibition of discrimination in hiring or recruitment

Algeria - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Dominican Republic - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Eritrea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Estonia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Gabon - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Kyrgyzstan - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Panama - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Paraguay - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Rwanda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Somalia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Uganda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Albania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Angola - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Armenia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Australia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Azerbaijan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Barbados - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Belarus - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Belgium - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Benin - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bhutan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Bulgaria - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Burkina Faso - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Burundi - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Cambodia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Cabo Verde - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Comoros - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Costa Rica - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Cote d'Ivoire - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Croatia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Czech Republic - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Denmark - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Djibouti - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Equatorial Guinea - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Fiji - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Finland - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

France - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Georgia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Ghana - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Greece - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Grenada - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guatemala - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guinea - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Guyana - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Hungary - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Kazakhstan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Kenya - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Kiribati - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Republic of Korea - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Latvia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Lesotho - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Liberia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Libya - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Lithuania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

North Macedonia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Malawi - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Maldives - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mali - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mauritania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mauritius - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Mexico - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Moldova - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Montenegro - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Morocco - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Namibia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Nepal - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Niger - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Peru - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Portugal - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Romania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Russian Federation - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Samoa - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Sao Tome and Principe - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Serbia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Slovakia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Slovenia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

South Africa - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Spain - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

St. Lucia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Syria - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Tajikistan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Tanzania - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Timor-Leste - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Togo - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Türkiye - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Turkmenistan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Tuvalu - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Ukraine - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

United Kingdom - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Uzbekistan - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Venezuela - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Vietnam - Yes, social class-specific prohibition

Zambia - Yes, social class-specific prohibition