A New York Accent Could Cost Job Seekers $9k a Year, Reveals Study

In a 2015 interview, Stephen Colbert was quoted as saying: “At an early age, I decided I wouldn’t have a southern accentadded because he thought it would hinder his career. He noted that it is difficult to identify a newscaster’s geographic origin based on accent.


Research from the University of Chicago and the University of Munich confirmed that people with strong regional accents face a 20 percent wage penalty compared to those who speak a “standard accent.” This wage penalty is equivalent to the gender wage gap.


A recent survey of 3,000 job seekers Writing Skills Institute It was found that more than a third (38%) said they “softened” their regional accent during job interviews in an effort to make their accent more common because they feared negative stereotypes.



#1 Western New England Accent

The Writing Tips Institute found that job applicants from Massachusetts (51%) with a Western New England accent were the most likely to change the way they speak in interviews. Accents in the region are non-fluid, meaning that the “r” sound is often dropped at the end of words or before consonants, giving words like “car” and “park” their distinctive sounds.To fit in better, job seekers can modify how they ask ‘where to go’pahk their cashwhen starting a new job. Accents also have unique words and phrases, such as using “wicked” to mean “very” or “extreme.”



#2 South Midland Accent

Candidates with a South Midlands accent were the second most likely (50%) to adjust their pronunciation during a job interview. This accent is widely spoken in the southeastern and southwestern United States, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and parts of Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Accents are characterized by distinctive vowel sounds, including the “ah” sound in words like “barn” or “car,” and the “oo” sound in words like “moon” or “food.” Additionally, the accent has unique phrases and idioms specific to the region, such as “I might be able to submit some references for you,” can be replaced with “I might be able to submit some references for you guys” job seeker.



#3 New Jersey Accent

Rounding out the top three were job seekers from New Jersey, 45 percent of whom admitted to hiding their accents. One of the most distinctive features of the New Jersey accent is the strong and distinctive pronunciation of the “r” sound, which is often pronounced even at the end of words that are not usually pronounced, such as “car.”Accents also include pronounced vowels, which may prompt New Jersey job seekers to avoid uttering words like themvery good at entertaining customers“During the interview.

#4 Southern Accent

45% of job seekers with a southern accent said they change the way they speak when applying for jobs. Southern accents are unique in their distinctive pronunciation of vowels and consonants, characterized by elongated vowels, slower and more relaxed speaking, and a tendency to drop the final “g” in words ending in “-ing” sound”

#5 Baltimore Accent

42% of people who speak a Baltimore accent change the way they speak when looking for a new job. The Baltimore accent is characterized by the distinctive pronunciation of the “o” vowel, known as “Baltimore o,” as well as other features such as the preposition of the “ai” diphthong and the use of “yo” and “hon” as terms of adoration.

More than a third of New Yorkers (37%) say they tone down their accents during job interviews. The New York accent is a regional accent associated with the New York City metropolitan area and surrounding areas and is characterized by a dropped “r” sound, distinctive vowel sounds, and distinctive “l” and “oi” sounds, such as “ah .” While most often associated with New York City, variants of the accent can be found elsewhere in the region. New York job seekers may avoid saying they are “Interested in learning more about the company” and use a more generic accent.

Given the 20% “accent wage penalty,” the average New York job seeker could lose $9,000 in annual earnings (based on a state average salary of $48,000).



Infographic showing dialect discrimination across America

Writing Skills Institute, also found which industries workers were more likely to change their accents. The No. 1 industry was real estate, with 46% of respondents admitting to a softening of their regional accent. Other industries are as follows:

#1.real estate
#2.travel
#3.Public Service
#4.it
#5.project
#6.the hospitality
#7.finance
#8. retail.
#9.health care
#10.media
#11.educate
#12.legal
#13.technology
#14.vitality

“The pressure to comply with language norms is especially pronounced in industries where communication skills are highly valued, such as sales or customer service. While this may be an effective strategy for some job seekers, it is sad to feel that they have to change a component of their identity in order to be accepted or to be successful at work.It is important to recognize that linguistic diversity is a valuable and rich aspect of our culture and no one should feel they have to change their accent or language to be successfulsaid founder and CEO Shaun Connell Writing Skills Institute.