One-quarter of people are less likely to hire someone with a tattoo

Jamie BallardData Journalist
August 23, 2018, 2:00 PM GMT+0

But 6% say a visible tattoo makes them more likely to hire a candidate

While some have said that having tattoos can preclude one from getting a job, a majority of Americans say they wouldn’t be less likely to hire a qualified job candidate with a visible tattoo, according to new data from YouGov Omnibus.

Over half (54%) say a candidate’s tattoo would have “no effect” on their decision to hire, while another 6% say it would actually make them “more likely” to hire the candidate.

However, about one-quarter (26%) of people say they would be less likely to hire a qualified candidate. Men (31%) were more likely than women (22%) to say this. Another 57% of women said the tattoo would have “no effect”, while half (50%) of men also chose this response.

Across age groups, a majority said that a candidate’s tattoo would have “no effect” on the hiring decision. People 55 and up were the most likely (33%) to say they’d be less likely to hire a tattooed candidate, while 25-34-year-olds were the least likely (19%) to choose this response. They were also the most likely of any age group to say that a candidate’s tattoo would make them “more likely” to hire them - 10% say this is the case.

Learn more about YouGov Omnibus.

Image: Getty

Explore more data & articles