Occupational segregation, wage inequalities and work histories

Evidence from developed and developing countries indicates that there is significant gender segregation within the labour market, with women more likely to work in low-productivity sectors or less profitable businesses. This chapter looks at occupational segregation which significantly contributes to the earnings gender gap worldwide. The chapter studies the differences in outcomes for male and female enterprises and their sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, a region of high female labour market participation and entrepreneurship. Data on Uganda show that women breaking into male-dominated sectors make as much as men, and three times more than women staying in female-dominated sectors. Factors including entrepreneurial skill/abilities and credit/human capital constraints do not explain women’s sectoral choices. However, information about profitability of their small enterprises, male role models’ influence, and exposure to the sector from family and friends are critical in helping women circumvent or overcome norms undergirding occupational segregation.

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Family Ties: Women's Work and Family Histories and their Association with Incomes in Later Life in the UK

Journal of Social Policy ◽

10.1017/s0047279410000255 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 41-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

TOM SEFTON ◽

MARIA EVANDROU ◽

JANE FALKINGHAM

Keyword(s):

Older Women ◽

Close Association ◽

Later Life ◽

Work And Family ◽

Positive Finding ◽

Work History ◽

Family Histories ◽

Public Transfers ◽

Work Histories ◽

Personal Incomes

AbstractThis article examines the relationship between the family and work histories of older women and their personal incomes in later life, using retrospective data from the first 15 waves of the British Household Panel Survey. The association between women's family histories and their incomes later in life are relatively weak, explaining only a small proportion of the overall variation in older women's incomes. Divorce, early widowhood and re-marriage are not associated with any significant differences in older women's incomes, while motherhood is only associated with a small reduction in incomes later in life. While there are significant differences in the work histories of older women with different family histories, this translates into relatively small differences in their personal incomes, because the types of employment career pursued by most women are not associated with significantly higher retirement incomes and because public transfers dampen work history-related differentials, especially for widows. On the one hand, this could be seen as a positive finding in that the ‘pension penalty’ associated with life-course events such as motherhood and divorce is not as severe as often anticipated. On the other hand, the main reason for this is that the pension returns to working longer are relatively low, particularly for women with few qualifications. The analysis suggests that women retiring over the next two decades are unlikely to benefit significantly from the additional years they have spent in employment, because most of this increase has been in part-time employment. The article highlights the tensions between two objectives: rewarding work, and protecting the most vulnerable, such as carers, long-term disabled and unemployed. Resolving this dilemma involves moving away from a close association between pension entitlements and work history and towards universal entitlement based on a citizen's pension.

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A five-decade review of gender-based occupational segregation: A bibliometric study of influential authors, institutions, and research clusters

Australian Journal of Career Development ◽

10.1177/10384162211006951 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 117-128

Author(s):

Leena Sachdeva ◽

Kumkum Bharti ◽

Mridul Maheshwari

Keyword(s):

Wage Differential ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Occupational Segregation ◽

Extensive Field ◽

Organisational Structures ◽

Gender Based ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Over Time ◽

The Web

Despite the proliferation of occupational segregation research, only a limited amount has explored it from a gender perspective. The attention that has been given is widely scattered and requires an analysis to identify the major works undertaken and the changes over time. This study aimed to examine and assimilate articles published on gender-based occupational segregation through a bibliometric analysis. The study examined 512 articles published from the early 1970s to 2020 that were retrieved from the Web of Science database. The findings suggest that gender and occupational segregation remain an extensive field of research, although this research comes mainly from North American and European countries. The low representation from developing countries indicates that more research is needed based on these different socio-cultural settings. This study identified three dominant research clusters, namely gendered organisational structures and systems, measurement of occupational segregation, and wage differential. Studies also covered areas including conceptualization, LGBTQ issues, and the role of legislation and institutions in reducing workplace inequalities; thus, providing a direction for scholars and practitioners.

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