Occupational segregation and gender inequality in job quality: a multi-level approach

Abstract

Gender differences in perceived quality of employment (achievement, content, job insecurity, time autonomy and physical and emotional conditions) are examined. The study asks whether women's occupations provide better conditions in areas that facilitate their dual role in society, as a trade-off for low monetary rewards. Specifically, it examines the association of women's concentration in broader occupational categories, embedded in particular national contexts, with gender differences in job quality. Utilizing the 2005 ISSP modules on work orientation shows that women lag behind men on most dimensions of job quality, countering the hypothesis that women's occupations compensate for their low wages and limited opportunities for promotion by providing better employment conditions. However, as women's relative share in occupations grows the gender gap narrows in most job quality dimensions. The implications of these results are discussed.

Abating inequalities? Job quality at the intersection of class and gender in Finland 1977–2013

“…Controversially, notable gender gaps, according to various work life indicators like wages, job authority and quality of jobs, have been found in the Nordic countries, despite them being regarded as female friendly welfare states (see e.g. Gallie et al 2007;Mandel 2012;Stier and Yaish 2009) Despite intriguing results, these previous studies have limitations: many of the studies are restricted to cross-sectional data or rather short time spans due to a lack of available data (Gallie et al 2007;Holman 2013a;2013b;Stier and Yaish 2014), and thus provide only limited possibilities to make conclusions on long-term polarizing developments or other trends. Furthermore, critically evaluating the research settings in studies that tackle inequalities reveals shortages as class and gender have been treated as two autonomous domains of inequality.…”

Intersección entre la clase y el género y su efecto sobre la calidad del empleo en Chile

“…Un ejemplo de ello es el sexo o género (Crompton, 1989) 2 . Así, por ejemplo, la evidencia empírica disponible ha mostrado que la condición de género es un determinante central de las oportunidades que los individuos encuentran en el mercado laboral (Browne y Misra, 2005;Stier y Yaish, 2014).…”

“…El enfoque está puesto en el mercado laboral por cuanto este es uno de los principales espacios en los que el efecto duradero de la clase y el género se hace visible (Stier y Yaish, 2014;Armstrong, Walby y Strid, 2009). Tanto en Chile como en otras sociedades capitalistas, el mercado laboral es el principal espacio para la asignación de recursos y recompensas a los individuos.…”

The intersection between class and gender and its impact on the quality of employment in Chile

“…Sex, or gender, is one example (Crompton, 1989). 2 The available empirical evidence shows that gender is a core determinant of the opportunities that are open to people in the labour market (Browne and Misra, 2005;Stier and Yaish, 2014).…”

“…The focus is on the labour market because it is one of the main areas in which the lasting effects of class and gender are evident (Stier and Yaish, 2014;Armstrong, Walby and Strid, 2009). Both in Chile and in other capitalist societies, the labour market is the main conduit for the allocation of resources and remuneration to individuals.…”