Career aspirations of teenagers and the future of gender equality in occupations

ABSTRACT

The U.S. workforce has been changing rapidly. Close to half of working adults are women, and as the U.S. population becomes ever more racially and ethnically diverse, so too does the labour force. Using data collected from 13–18-year-old teenagers over three time periods across two decades, 1992 to 2012, this study examines changes in the career aspirations of teenagers, focusing specifically on gender and race/ethnicity similarities and differences. Comparable to the findings from many studies, the results show marked gender differences and few racial/ethnic differences. New to the discussion are the findings that White boys and minority girls are those leading the slow-moving wave towards gender parity in occupations. If the findings of this study are prescient, women and men are not likely to be working side-by-side in all occupations in the near future, but there should be significant shifts over the coming decades.

KEYWORDS:

• gender equality
• occupations
• adolescents

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Edith Barrett

Dr. Edith J. Barrett is an associate dean and professor of Public Policy and Urban and Community Studies at the University of Connecticut. Her research spans a number of social policy areas with particular focus on urban poverty and housing. She has also published on race and gender issues, with early work addressing the unique position of Black women politicians. Her current research explores urban American teenagers’ attitudes toward and experiences with social policies.