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Occupational Status: Why do some Workers Miss Out?
Author(s) -
Le Anh T.,
Miller Paul W.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
australian economic papers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.351
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1467-8454
pISSN - 0004-900X
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8454.00131
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , earnings , disadvantaged , occupational prestige , differential (mechanical device) , demographic economics , labour economics , mainstream , educational attainment , economics , business , economic growth , sociology , political science , demography , population , aerospace engineering , law , engineering , accounting
The difference in socioeconomic status between the ‘haves’ and ‘have‐nots’ is widening in the Australian labour market. This is reflected in the data on both earnings and occupational status. This paper assesses the factors contributing to differences in the occupational attainment of workers with a marginal attachment to the labour market and workers who are part of mainstream Australia. Overall, 94 per cent of the occupational status differential is attributable to the inferior endowments possessed by workers with a marginal attachment to the labour market. Until the disadvantaged workers improve their skills they will not be able to gain access to high status occupations.