Overview of Occupational Segregation in the U.S.

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Overview of Occupational Segregation in the U.S.

• Vicky Lovell, Ph.D.
• Institute for Womens Policy Research
• World Bank Workshop II for Gender Focal Points
• April 7, 2005

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• Occupational segregation is a strong, persistent
  feature of U.S. labor markets.
• Despite the end of legal barriers to professional
  education for women, in the 1960s, women and men
  continue to work in very different jobs.
• There has been some decline in the extent of
  occupational segregation in the U.S. in recent
  decades

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• Table 1. Index of Dissimilarity
• (0 complete integration)

Source Jerry A. Jacobs, Detours on the Road to
Equality (Contexts 2(1)32-41, Winter 2003).
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Table 2. Examples of occupational segregation
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Highlights of Womens Earnings in 2003 (USDOL
978, September 2004).
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Why does it matter?

• Wages are lower in jobs that are held mainly by
  women (Stone 2003).
• Many female-dominated jobs are extremely
  low-wage.
• Women are not able to reach their full potential
  if limited in their occupational choices.
• Employers are not able to choose the most
  productive workers.

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Table 3. Top 20 occupations for women
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• Concern about slow progress in closing the
  gender wage ratio

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• There is increasing concern about womens and
  families economic stability and
  self-sufficiency, with women having a growing
  responsibility for family income.
• In some occupations, womens representation has
  actually decreased e.g., some computer-related
  occupations.
• Employment growth is expected to be greatest in
  some very low-paying jobs requiring very low (or
  no) training or education.

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Table 4. Employment growth 2002 2012
Source Daniel E. Hecker, Occupational
employment projections to 2012 (Monthly Labor
Review 27(2) 80-105, February 2004)..
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Interest in non-traditional jobs for women

• In the U.S., non-traditional means fewer than
  25 percent of workers in the occupation are
  women.
• Typically have higher pay than female-dominated
  jobs.
• For less-skilled workers, main jobs are in
  construction (carpenters, electricians,
  plumbers).
• Training provided by community colleges or union
  apprenticeship programs.

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Non-traditional occupations offer manybenefits
to women . . . .

• Higher wages
• Good benefits (health insurance, pensions)
• Variety and mobility
• Casual dress
• Outdoor work
• Job satisfaction
• Opportunities to learn on the job
• Career ladders
• Enhanced quality of life
• New skills that can be used in many jobs

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. . . . along with some challenges

• Hazardous workplaces
• Discrimination and/or harassment
• Sense of isolation if there are few other women
• Families and friends may not be supportive
• Transportation and child-care may be difficult to
  arrange
• Weather, heat, cold, dust, dirt, noise
• Physical requirements
• Shift work
• Seasonal layoffs
• May need to learn unfamiliar skills

Source Wider Opportunities for Women 2004.
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Non-traditional occupations offer higher wages
and lower education/training costs

• Average cost of a 4-year college degree 74,000
• Average cost of a 4-year apprenticeship program
  2,000
• In the first 20 years, workers will earn
• College graduates 630,000
• Union workers in building trades 844,000

Source Oregon Tradeswomen n.d.