Education Level and Experiences of Workplace Discrimination Over Time

Previous research reveals mixed results on the effect of education level on employee's perception of workplace discrimination. It also does not examine change in these perceptions over time. The current study fills this gap by analyzing longitudinal data collected in 2004-2006 and 2013-2014 in the US. The results revealed that individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher perceive less discrimination and inequality in the workplace compared to individuals with less than a bachelor's degree. The results also suggest that even when perceptions of discrimination decreased over time, perceptions of inequality remained unchanged regardless of education level. These results point to the important implications of making a college-level education more accessible. The results also reveal important considerations for HR departments to account for in DEI training.