Intersectionality in the Labor Market: An Integrative Review of Race, Gender, and Class-Based Inequalities

Abstract

The concept of intersectionality examines how multiple and interdependent forms of oppression manifest among marginalized social groups, considering their social markers. This study aims to analyze intersectionality in the labor market, with a critical focus on the interactions between race, gender, and class as structuring axes of inequality. An integrative literature review was conducted, encompassing an in-depth analysis of 140 articles addressing intersectionality in the labor context. The findings reveal a persistent conceptual fragmentation of intersectionality and a dilution of critical debates within labor market research. Empirical evidence consistently shows that women and racialized groups face enduring structural barriers, including wage gaps, occupational segregation, and limited access to leadership positions. Moreover, these inequalities are often obscured or reduced to superficial diversity and inclusion initiatives rather than being addressed as systemic issues. The study emphasizes the importance of committed and critical intersectional approaches to understanding and addressing systemic inequalities in the labor market, highlighting theoretical and epistemological gaps that must be addressed to advance emancipatory practices and policies that directly confront structural racism, patriarchy, and class-based exploitation. The study contributes theoretically by deepening the application of intersectionality in the labor market and by identifying conceptual and epistemological gaps in the literature. Empirically, it provides practical guidance for organizations to transform diversity initiatives into strategic and inclusive actions, integrating multiple social identities into management policies and practices.