Updated

A study has confirmed what many immigrants in Germany had long believed: When it comes to getting a job, someone named Hans has an unfair advantage over a rival named Ali.

The nonprofit Expert Council for Integration and Migration says it sent two applications for paid apprenticeships to 1,794 companies — identical except for the names. The aim was to see if resumes with German names received a better response.

They did. The group said Wednesday that "applicants" with German names on average submitted resumes five times before they were invited to an interview — while those with Turkish names needed an average of seven times.

The Expert Council says the results show how stereotypes harm Germany's ability to recruit skilled workers and prevent immigrants from successfully integrating.