Evolving Patterns of Sex Segregation

Abstract

Men and women often work in different jobs. The differing distribution of men and women across positions within the occupational structure may be referred to as the “sex segregation” of occupations. Sex segregation remains a defining element of the American occupational structure. The composition of incumbents in a position, whether they are male or female, influences the notions men and women hold about their own opportunities. The concentration of women in low-paying, female-dominated occupations also contributes to the earnings gap between women and men.