Racial/ethnic and class segregation at workplace and residence: A Los Angeles case study

ABSTRACT

Expanding the scope of existing segregation literature, this research compares racial/ethnic segregation across economic classes and class segregation across racial/ethnic groups at two anchor locations of individual life: residence and workplace. Using the 2015 U.S. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data for the Los Angeles region, we depict a complicated picture: Segregation is moderate in the study area, but minority and/or low-income workers experience additional segregation on top of racial/ethnic segregation at residence. Specifically, the levels of segregation at residence are positively correlated with the segregation levels at workplace; racial/ethnic segregation is more severe at residence, while class segregation is more severe at the workplace, particularly for racial minorities; racial/ethnic segregation is the highest in the low-income group but lowest in the low-medium income group; class segregation in White workers is lower than that in Black and Asian workers at workplace but greater at residence. Therefore, policies that aim to effectively mitigate segregation should leverage intricate social environments at different spatial settings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lingqian Hu

Lingqian Hu is a professor in the Urban Planning Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research focuses on transportation-land use relationships and related equity issues.

Hamideh Moayyed

Hamideh Moayyed is a Ph.D. student in Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has conducted research projects concerning transportation and land use, immigrant travel behavior in the U.S., and pedestrian safety. Her doctoral dissertation explores the travel behavior of older adults in urban and suburban settings.

Nancy Frank

Nancy Frank, AICP, has been affiliated with Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 1994 and teaches on the planning process, including equity and environmental sustainability. She has held leadership roles in the APA Wisconsin Chapter on planning for equity and inclusion. She teaches courses in Planning for Sustainability, Planning for Community Resilience, and Water Resources Planning. Recent work focuses on resilience, green infrastructure, flood mitigation and policy aspects of climate mitigation and adaptation.