Markov models of occupational mobility: Theoretical development and empirical support. Part 1: Careers†

I wish to thank the editor, Gordon Lewis, for his many helpful suggestions.

This paper, consisting of two parts, presents an analysis of the current state of Markov model , building for intragenerational occupational mobility. Part One examines theories of careers and Part Two theories of continuously operative job systems. Stress is given to the empirical support of the models and to the cumulative development of theory. Among the paper's findings are that several models proposed to span both occupational and geographical mobility have used only migration data; that analytic development is more cumulative for career models; and that there exists a basic divergence of findings from tests of models of careers and continuously operative job systems. In Part One we focus on individual behavior or subaggregates (cohorts).

Notes

I wish to thank the editor, Gordon Lewis, for his many helpful suggestions.

School of Urban and Public Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.