Wages, sorting on skill, and the racial composition of jobs

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hirsch, BT; Macpherson, DA
• 署名单位: IZA Institute Labor Economics; State University System of Florida; Florida State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/380407
• 发表日期: 2004
• 页码: 189-210
• 关键词: determining occupational structure; School quality; gender composition; white; differentials; earnings; DISCRIMINATION; EMPLOYMENT; explain; segregation

摘要

Wages for black and white workers are substantially lower in occupations with a high density of black employees, following standard controls. Such correlations can exist absent discrimination or as a result of discrimination. In wage level equations, partial correlations fall sharply after controlling for occupational skills. Longitudinal estimates accounting for worker heterogeneity indicate little wage change associated with changes in racial composition. Results support a quality sorting rather than discrimination explanation, with racial density serving as an index of unmeasured skills. Discrimination reflected in racial wage gaps occurs within occupations or across occupations in a manner uncorrelated with racial composition.