Glass Ceilings, Glass Escalators and Revolving Doors: Comparing Gendered Occupational Trajectories and the Upward Mobility of Men and Women in West Germany

Abstract

Drawing from the literature on “glass ceilings” and “glass escalators”, we analyze gender differences in career advancement across occupations. We argue that gender-typical occupations provide different opportunities for upward mobility in part due to varying institutional rules and work organizational logics. We further extend previous research by looking at two aspects: accessibility to and likelihood of staying in leadership. Using data from the German National Education Panel Study, we ask: (1) Do men demonstrate an advantage regarding access to and staying in leadership? (2) To what extent does occupational segregation explain gender differences in upward mobility? (3) Do gender effects vary across occupations? Using event history analysis, results confirm that occupational gender segregation largely explains gender differences in upward mobility. We further find that the probability of upward mobility is lower in female and higher in male occupations; however, the male advantage is nevertheless weaker in male occupations.