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Gender Differences in Occupation of Employment within Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Alison Preston

    (Curtin University of Technology)

  • Gillian Whitehouse

    (The University of Queensland)

Abstract

Occupational segregation by sex is a persistent phenomenon in contemporary labour markets, and widely assumed to contribute to ongoing gender earnings inequality. In spite of continuing change in the occupational composition of labour markets and legislative efforts to proscribe sex discrimination in employment processes, only limited changes in overall indices of occupational segregation have been recorded in Australia over recent decades. This paper uses disaggregated data to show that even this modest level of integration is underpinned by trends that are not unequivocally favourable for women. Our analysis emphasises the influence of men’s increased representation in part-time work, and highlights increased feminisation in some areas alongside integrating trends in others.

Suggested Citation

  • Alison Preston & Gillian Whitehouse, 2004. "Gender Differences in Occupation of Employment within Australia," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 7(3), pages 309-327, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ozl:journl:v:7:y:2004:i:3:p:309-327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert M. Blackburn & Janet Siltanen & Jennifer Jarman, 1995. "The Measurement of Occupational Gender Segregation: Current Problems and a New Approach," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 158(2), pages 319-331, March.
    2. Damian Grimshaw & Jill Rubery, 1997. "The Concentration of Women's Employment and Relative Occupational Pay: A Statistical Framework for Comparative Analysis," OECD Labour Market and Social Policy Occasional Papers 26, OECD Publishing.
    3. Francine D. Blau & Marianne A. Ferber, 1991. "Career Plans and Expectations of Young Women and Men: The Earnings Gap and Labor Force Participation," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 26(4), pages 581-607.
    4. Martin Watts, 2003. "The Evolution of Occupational Gender Segregation in Australia: Measurement and Interpretation," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 6(4), pages 631-655, December.
    5. Michael P. Kidd & Michael Shannon, 1996. "Does the Level of Occupational Aggregation Affect Estimates of the Gender Wage Gap?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 49(2), pages 317-329, January.
    6. Blau, Francine D & Kahn, Lawrence M, 1992. "The Gender Earnings Gap: Learning from International Comparisons," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(2), pages 533-538, May.
    7. Alison Preston, 1997. "Where Are We Now With Human Capital Theory in Australia?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 73(220), pages 51-78, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Tan, Michelle, 2011. "Noncognitive skills, occupational attainment, and relative wages," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Gerard Lind & Rebecca Colquhoun, 2021. "Analysis of gender segregation within detailed occupations and industries in Australia," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 24(1), pages 47-69.
    3. Sara Charlesworth & Lyndall Strazdins, 2011. "Parents jobs in Australia: work hours polarisation and the consequences of job quality and gender equality," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 14(1), pages 35-57.
    4. Luisa Maria Diele-Viegas & Thamara Santos Almeida & Iris Amati-Martins & Christine D. Bacon & Cibele Cassia-Silva & Rosane G. Collevatti & Jéssica Fenker & Tabata Elise Ferreira Cordeiro & Giuliana Ca, 2022. "Community voices: sowing, germinating, flourishing as strategies to support inclusion in STEM," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-5, December.
    5. Megan Moskos, 2020. "Why is the gender revolution uneven and stalled? Gender essentialism and men's movement into ‘women's work'," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 527-544, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination Labor Force and Employment; Size; and Structure (by industry; occupation; demographic characteristics; etc.) Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity (Formal Training Programs; On-the-Job Training);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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