Title

Employment and Wage Consequences of Young Women's Labor Force and Job Transitions

Author(s)

Sigal Alon Sigal Alon (Princeton University)

Marta Tienda Marta Tienda (Princeton University)

Abstract

By age 30 white women are more likely to be employed, either full or part-time, and to earn more compared to Hispanic and black women. We trace these employment and wage inequalities to young women's early work experiences, in particular work-related transitions. Using the NLSY79 (Work History File) we examine two facets of women's labor market dynamics between ages 16-30, namely transitions between employment and nonemployment, and transitions among employers. Neither labor force instability or job turnover influence women's employment status at age 30, but both aspects of early market dynamism influence wages. We find that a moderate amount of job turnover during young adulthood is an essential component of the career shaping process which enhances women?s economic mobility. However, excessive turnover, particularly among young adult women, is economically counterproductive. Young black women experience fewer transitions over the early life course, but our results indicate that they benefit more from both types of transitions compared to white and Hispanic women.

Creation Date

2000-05

Section URL ID

OPR

Paper Number

1

URL

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.586.6104&rep=rep1&type=pdf

File Function

Jel

J16

Keyword(s)

NLSY79; National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979

Suppress

false

Series

11