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Wage disparities and industry segregation: a look at Black-White income inequality from 1950-2000

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  • Nathan Marwell

Abstract

The last sixty years has been a period of profound change for Black Americans. In the 1950s and 1960s, Supreme Court cases and federal legislation eliminated many unfair and discriminatory laws passed over the course of the prior century that had effectively subordinated Black Americans to second class citizenship. A variety of social and economic conditions have changed during the roughly six decades since the modern Civil Rights Movement began, in part as a result of these decisions, and significant shifts in cultural norms and beliefs, as well. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the economic ramifications of this change, focusing specifically on the labor market and changes in income differentials between Black and White Americans during the period.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathan Marwell, 2009. "Wage disparities and industry segregation: a look at Black-White income inequality from 1950-2000," Profitwise, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, issue Jul, pages 10-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedhpw:y:2009:i:jul:p:10-16
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    File URL: http://www.chicagofed.org/digital_assets/publications/profitwise_news_and_views/2009/PNV_July2009_spEd_wage_disparaties_web.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charles Brown, 1984. "Black-White Earnings Ratios Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964: The Importance of Labor Market Dropouts," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 99(1), pages 31-44.
    2. Kenneth J. Arrow, 1998. "What Has Economics to Say about Racial Discrimination?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 91-100, Spring.
    3. Derek Neal, 2004. "The Measured Black-White Wage Gap among Women Is Too Small," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(S1), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Carrington, William J & Troske, Kenneth R, 1997. "On Measuring Segregation in Samples with Small Units," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 15(4), pages 402-409, October.
    5. Thomas M. Lyons & James J. Heckman & Petra E. Todd, 2000. "Understanding Black-White Wage Differentials, 1960-1990," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 344-349, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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