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The extent of occupational segregation in the US: Differences by race, ethnicity, and gender

Author

Listed:
  • Olga Alonso-Villar

    (Universidade de Vigo)

  • Coral del Río

    (Universidade de Vigo)

  • Carlos Gradín

    (Universidade de Vigo)

Abstract

By using data from the American Community Survey, this paper studies occupational segregation by ethnicity/race and gender in the US by comparing the distribution of any demographic group with the employment structure of the economy. The analysis shows that occupational segregation is particularly intense in the Hispanic and Asian population groups, even though the performance of the former seems to be more disturbing than that of the latter given its higher concentration in low-paid jobs. As opposed to what happens for African and Native Americans, human capital variables explain a substantive part of Hispanic and Asian segregation. The analysis also reveals that the differential between women and men is not reduced after controlling for human capital characteristics. In addition, segregation disparities are much larger among male groups than among female groups. A distinctive characteristic of Hispanic workers is that segregation is higher for men than for women.

Suggested Citation

  • Olga Alonso-Villar & Coral del Río & Carlos Gradín, 2010. "The extent of occupational segregation in the US: Differences by race, ethnicity, and gender," Working Papers 180, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    • Handle: RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2010-180
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    File URL: http://www.ecineq.org/milano/WP/ECINEQ2010-180.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    14. Coral del Río & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2012. "Occupational Segregation of Immigrant Women in Spain," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 91-123, June.
    15. Valerie Rawlston & William Spriggs, 2002. "A logit decomposition analysis of occupational segregation: An update for the 1990s of Spriggs and Williams," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 29(4), pages 91-96, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Coral del Río & Olga Alonso Villar, 2013. "Mujeres ante el empleo (y el desempleo) en el mercado laboral español," Working Papers 1305, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Economía Aplicada.
    2. Coral del Río & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2010. "Occupational segregation measures: A role for status," Working Papers 167, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    3. Carlos Gradín, 2011. "Occupational Segregation of Afro-Latinos," Working Papers 1105, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Economía Aplicada.
    4. Carlos Gradín & Coral del Río & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2011. "Occupational Segregation by Race and Ethnicity in the US: Differences across States," Working Papers 1102, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Economía Aplicada.
    5. Olga Alonso Villar & Coral del Río, 2010. "Segregation of female and male workers in Spain: occupations and industries," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 194(3), pages 91-121, June.
    6. Coral del Rio & Olga Alonso-Villar, 2014. "The Evolution of Occupational Segregation in the U.S., 1940-2010: The Gains and Losses of Gender-Race/Ethnicity Groups," Working Papers 323, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    7. Carlos Gradín, 2013. "Conditional occupational segregation of minorities in the US," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 11(4), pages 473-493, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    occupational segregation; local segregation; race; ethnicity; gender.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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