The Immobility of Low-Paid Workers

Authors

Marshall I. Pomer, University of California, Santa Cruz

Abstract

This paper extends the labor segmentation perspective on unequal job access. Analyzed here are Census data on the occupational mobility of low-paid workers during the period 1965 to 1970. Upward mobility, defined as movement from a low-paid to a mainstream stratum, is far more common for white men than for women and blacks-even after controlling for differences in age, education, and type of low-paid job. A worker's particular low-paid occupation also strongly affects chances of entering the mainstream stratum. The dominant paradigm for quantitative research on social stratification is questioned, and social policies are suggested.

Recommended Citation

Pomer, Marshall I. (1985) "The Immobility of Low-Paid Workers," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1703
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol12/iss2/5