Chutes and Ladders: Migration and Male Racial Occupational Segregation

We examine the relationship between migration and occupational segregation for black and white job changers. Using a modified experience good model, our findings from the NLSY suggest that black migrants in good quality occupation matches advance their occupational positions, but do not catch up to whites. Bad match black migrants, on the other hand, lose the most ground on occupational ladders relative to all blacks and whites in our sample. Our results suggest that future research should focus on the underlying labor market history of individuals, where finding good initial occupation matches for blacks in combination with geographical mobility may be the most effective strategy for public policy aimed at decreasing occupational segregation.