Multiple-Race Identification and the Wages of Black Workers

Philip N. Cohen, University of California, Irvine

This analysis tests for wage differences between multiple-race and single-race Black respondents in the 2000 Census. Because only 2% of non-Latino Black workers chose more than one race, this group represents a small fraction of those with any White or other-race ancestry. The analysis shows that wage advantages for Black/White workers are not significant once the higher level of education among multiple-race reporters is controlled. Given previous research showing that Black workers with lighter skin color gain a substantial earnings premium, it appears that multiracial identification in the 2000 Census does not differentiate workers based on appearance.