Anti-discrimination legislation in Australia: fair, effective, efficient or irrelevant?

Anti-discrimination legislation continues to be used as a social and labour market mechanism yet the results of Australian telephone surveys of random ly selected employers and job applicants indicate that discrimination in th e recruitment and selection process is flourishing despite such legislation . Only limited support for the neo-classical economists' concern that antid iscrimination legislation creates additional costs and inefficiencies was f ound. The role of the legislation in creating more effective selections was not strongly supported either but about half of both employers and job app licants thought that the legislation was fair. A more proactive approach is needed if illegal discrimination in the recruitment and selection process is to be minimised; anti-discrimination legislation, without exposure of re search findings and active monitoring of human resource practices, is insuf ficient.