The Evolution of Black-White Differences in Occupational Mobility Across Post-Civil War America

69 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2024 Last revised: 12 Dec 2024

See all articles by Steven N. Durlauf

Steven N. Durlauf

University of Chicago - Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility; University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy

Gueyon Kim

University of California, Santa Cruz

Dohyeon Lee

Amazon

Xi Song

University of Pennsylvania

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 2024

Abstract

This paper studies long-run differences in intergenerational occupational mobility between Black and White Americans. Combining data from linked historical censuses and contemporary large-scale surveys, we provide a comprehensive set of mobility measures based on Markov chains that trace the short- and long-run dynamics of occupational differences. Our findings highlight the unique importance of changes in mobility experienced by the 1940–1950 birth cohort in shaping the current occupational distribution and reducing the racial occupational gap. We further explore the properties of continuing occupational inequalities and argue that these disparities are better understood by a lack of exchange mobility rather than structural mobility. Thus, contemporary occupational disparities cannot be expected to disappear based on the occupational dynamics seen historically.

Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.

Suggested Citation

Durlauf, Steven N. and Kim, Gueyon and Lee, Dohyeon and Song, Xi, The Evolution of Black-White Differences in Occupational Mobility Across Post-Civil War America (April 2024). NBER Working Paper No. w32370, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4810585

Steven N. Durlauf (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility ( email )

United States

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy ( email )

1155 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

Gueyon Kim

University of California, Santa Cruz ( email )

1156 High St
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
United States

Dohyeon Lee

Amazon ( email )

Xi Song

University of Pennsylvania ( email )

3718 Locust Walk
McNeil 353
Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States
3128050059 (Phone)

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
5
Abstract Views
173
PlumX Metrics