The disadvantage of a sex-segregated labor market: Sex segregation and the availability of work–family benefits

Abstract

This article explores how the sex composition of occupations affects the availability of work–family benefits. Literature suggests that male-dominated occupations may be unlikely to make work–family benefits available. Consistent with the literature, this article found that male-dominated occupations are not likely to offer parental leave or flexible schedules, especially if they are low-prestige occupations. Surprisingly, however, women in male-dominated occupations were especially likely to have parental leave available. Further, occupations with balanced sex compositions offered men better access to parental leave than those in male-dominated occupations and offered both men and women better access to flexible work schedules compared to sex-segregated occupations. The study suggests that efforts to balance occupational sex compositions may result in better availability of work–family benefits for both men and women. It argues that the unequal distribution of benefits discovered within male-dominated occupations creates barriers for women trying to enter these occupations, reinforcing sex segregation in the labor market.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex segregation
• occupations
• work–family
• benefits

Notes

¹I also ran one set of Poisson regression models to assess the availability of work-family benefits by using a work-family benefits index as a count variable. However, the results of the logistic regression analyses suggested inconsistency in the outcomes of each benefit, with the individual benefits displaying different effects. Further, the results of the Poisson regression did not highlight any new findings not already visible in the logistic regression analyses.