Trends in occupational segregation by race and ethnicity in the USA: evidence from detailed data

Abstract

This article analyses trends in occupational segregation by race and ethnicity in the USA over the period 1983 to 2002. During this period, racial segregation markedly declined, while there was a fairly sizable increase in ethnic segregation. Almost all the changes in racial and ethnic segregation were due to the racial or ethnic composition effect. This finding is important since the composition effect truly measures the change in racial or ethnic segregation by eliminating the effect of changes in the size of occupations. During the period 1983–2002, the service, managerial, sales, operators and professional specialty occupations contributed the most to the decline in segregation between Blacks and NonBlacks, while the service, production and farming occupations contributed the most to the increase in segregation between Hispanics and NonHispanics.

Notes

¹ Blacks or African–Americans refer to people who have origins in Black racial groups of Africa. Hispanics refer to people having ancestry from Spanish-speaking countries including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba as well as countries with fewer representatives in the US.