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Title: Comparing Occupational Segregation in Great Britain and the United States: The Benefits of Using a Multi-Group Measure of Segregation

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2005

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Abstract: The advantages of using a multi-group mechanism for measuring occupational segregation are highlighted. Scrutiny of existing scholarship on occupational segregation is reviewed, illustrating the insights provided by such research on the gendered nature of certain occupations & full-time work; however, it is stressed that such literature has failed to explore the dynamic relationship between gender & work time. Data from the 1990 US Census Integrated Public Use Microdata series & from the 1991 British 1% Household Samples of Anonymized Records is subsequently analyzed to ascertain the gender & employment status of UK & US workers; it is revealed that UK & US workers possess different motivations for gaining part-time employment. H. Theil's (1972) entropy index of segregation, a multi-group measure, is subsequently used to investigate this multidimensional relationship between gender & employment status in both countries. The findings revealed greater levels of segregation between male & female workers & between full-time & part-time workers in the UK than in the US. Despite the utility of Theil's entropy index as a measure of occupational segregation, it is noted that such multi-group mechanisms possess certain shortcomings; directions for future research are also offered.

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Authors: Elliott, Jane

Periodical (Full): Work, Employment and Society

Issue: 1

Volume: 19

Pages: 153-174

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure

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