The Evolution of Occupational Segregation in the United States, 1940-2010: Gains and Losses of Gender–Race/Ethnicity Groups

The aim of this article is twofold: (1) to descriptively explore the evolution of occupational segregation of women and men of different racial/ethnic groups in the United States during 1940-2010, and (2) to assess the consequences of segregation for each group. For that purpose, in this article, we...

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Veröffentlicht in:Demography 2015-06, Vol.52 (3), p.967-988
Hauptverfasser: del Río, Coral, Alonso-Villar, Olga
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:The aim of this article is twofold: (1) to descriptively explore the evolution of occupational segregation of women and men of different racial/ethnic groups in the United States during 1940-2010, and (2) to assess the consequences of segregation for each group. For that purpose, in this article, we propose a simple index that measures the monetary loss or gain of a group derived from its overrepresentation in some occupations and misrepresentation in others. This index has a clear economic interpretation. It represents the per capita advantage (if the index is positive) or disadvantage (if the index is negative) of the group, derived from its segregation, as a proportion of the average wage of the economy. Our index is a helpful tool not only for academics but also for institutions concerned with inequalities among demographic groups because it makes it possible to rank them according to their segregational nature.
ISSN:0070-3370
1533-7790
DOI:10.1007/s13524-015-0390-5