According to a new study released by the New York Restaurant Opportunities Center on March 31, minorities and women who work in New York City's high-end restaurants do not have equal salaries, positions, or experiences as white men who work there.  At a press conference, there were panelists who talked about how training, legislation, and enforcement can decrease discrimination in the workplace.  Spencer Lewis, an officer of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), urged all restaurant employees who experience discrimination to come forward and report it.

The report, New York Restaurants' Segregation and Inequity, pointed out that the New York restaurant industry employs 200,000 employees, making it a fast-growth industry.  Even when the U.S. economy entered a recession at the end of last year, the unemployment in the restaurant industry was only 1.5 percent, much lower than the average unemployment rate.  The report studied 180 high-end restaurants and revealed that the positions held by whites are often higher than those of offered minorities.  

Only about 54.5 percent of the minority restaurant employees said that they had the same interview and employment opportunities in the restaurant industry as their white counterparts.  About 30 percent of the minority employees believed that they faced discrimination during interviews.  White Europeans with an accent actually had an easier time getting employed than other white employees.  At the same time, whether a minority has an accent had nothing to do with the ability to get hired.

According to the study, although three of four restaurant employees are minorities, it was evident that white employees are able to get a higher salary and position, and a bigger bonus more easily than minority employees.  Even for discipline issues, white employees face lighter disciplinary actions than their minority counterparts.  White men occupied more management positions in high-end restaurants, while minority employees occupied more lower-paid positions. 

The data gathered for this study, along with data from the 2000 Census and from past studies, showed that women and minorities faced discrimination.  The average salary of minority employees was 11.6 percent lower than the average salary of white employees.  In a way, the minority employees paid a "race tax" due to their race and their resulting lower salary.  Similarly, the average salary of female employees was 21.8 percent lower than the average salary of white employees.  Therefore, these female employees paid "gender tax."  In light of the discriminating treatment, many minorities, including Asians, tend to endure the mistreatments due to cultural reasons.  The study recommended that employers follow labor laws and regulations and provide minority employees training and a fair environment.  It also recommended that the government and city council use legislations to protect women and minority employees in the restaurant industry from racial and gender discrimination and sexual harassment.