(STUDY FINDS) -- MIAMI — It’s no longer taboo to have a tattoo. More companies are shedding their prejudice against employees and job candidates coming in with tattoos, a smart move that’s giving them a competitive edge over offices that still discriminate, a new study finds.
Researchers from the University of Miami and the University of Western Australia say that not only are tattoos becoming more common — 40 percent of millennials have gotten inked — but their study shows that even visible tattoos don’t have any effect on job prospects, income, or advancement. In some cases, the researchers found, tattoos can be an advantage.
The researchers surveyed more than 2,000 participants from across all 50 states during the summer of 2016. About half of the respondents came from dense, urban areas with booming populations. When comparing salaries and wages of tattooed workers versus ink-free participants, they found annual earnings to be “statistically indistinguishable.” In fact, they determined that people with tattoos were more likely to be hired by companies in some cases.