This paper shows that small establishments are much less likely to hire and
employ blacks than are larger establishments. A number of possible explana
tions for this result are considered, such as differences across establishm
ents in application rates from blacks, skill needs, locations, and recruiti
ng behavior. Although these factors can account for some of the observed di
fferences in race of new hires between small and large establishments, much
remains unexplained. The results suggest that discrimination in hiring may
be much more pervasive at smaller establishments than larger ones.