An alternative proposal for measuring occupational segregation

Working Paper 2007-82

Abstract

This paper offers a general framework in which to study the occupational segregation of a target group when involving a categorization of individuals in two or more groups. For this purpose, it proposes to compare the distribution of the target group against the distribution of total employment across occupations. In doing so, this paper first presents an axiomatic set-up within which segregation measures can be evaluated and defines an alternative segregation curve. Next, a class of additive segregation indexes, related to the generalized entropy family and consistent with the above curves, is characterized. Finally, decompositions of these measures by subgroups of occupations and by subgroups of individuals are proposed.

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