Do Non-Cognitive Skills Help Explain the Occupational Segregation of Young People?
43 Pages Posted: 23 Jul 2010
There are 2 versions of this paper
Do Non-Cognitive Skills Help Explain the Occupational Segregation of Young People?
Do Non-Cognitive Skills Help Explain the Occupational Segregation of Young People?
Date Written: July 20, 2010
Abstract
This paper investigates the role of non-cognitive skills in the occupational segregation of young workers entering the U.S. labor market. We find entry into male-dominated fields of study and male-dominated occupations are both related to the extent to which individuals believe they are intelligent and have “male” traits while entry into male-dominated occupations is also related to the willingness to work hard, impulsivity, and the tendency to avoid problems. The nature of these relationships differs for men and women, however. Non-cognitive skills (intelligence and impulsivity) also influence movement into higher-paid occupations, but in ways that are similar for men and women. On balance, non-cognitive skills provide an important, though incomplete, explanation for segregation in the fields that young men and women study as well as in the occupations in which they are employed.
Keywords: non-cognitive skills, occupation, youth, gender
JEL Classification: J24, J16, J31
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
Recommended Papers
-
Accident Risk, Gender, Family Status and Occupational Choice in the UK
By Peter J. Sloane and Suzanne Grazier