A 2022 study examined what happens when companies hide salary information from job postings. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, the researchers found, were less likely to apply in the first place — uncertain whether the position would meet their needs and unwilling to invest time in interviews that might lead nowhere. Posting salary ranges, the authors argue, is less an abstract gesture toward fairness than a concrete way to widen the applicant pool.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- A
Underrepresented workers do not negotiate.
- B
Salary disclosure is a symbolic gesture only.
- C
All companies should be required to disclose salaries.
- Dcheck_circle
The study suggests that hiding salaries narrows the applicant pool, making transparency a practical not just principled choice.
Explanation
The passage's central claim is the practical effect of nondisclosure on applicant pools — B. A inverts; C is unsupported; D distorts.