Change in the Racial Composition of Occupations, 1960–1970

Abstract

This study estimates change in the racial inequality of employment during the 1960s, a decade characterized by substantial economic growth and significant government antidiscriminatory activity. The focus is on the influence of (1) structural change, as measured by industrial and occupational growth, and (2) indicators of industrial structure (e.g., profitability, concentration) on change in the racial composition of occupations within industries. The analysis indicates that black workers in both white-collar and blue-collar occupations made relative employment gains primarily in expanding sectors of the economy. The structural growth that occurred in the 1960s, therefore, had substantial benefits for black employment opportunities. Extrapolating from our findings on black employment gains in the 1960s, we conclude that there is little reason to expect dramatic progress in positional inequality for blacks today given current political and economic conditions.