Only Spot a Few Blacks the Higher I Go: Occupational Segregation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper examines whether there exists a link between occupational segregation by race and labor market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate the extent to which workers who were employed in occupations with higher concentrations of Black workers were more likely to indicate a change in employer, a change in hours employed, or a change in earnings during the pandemic. The results show that Black workers employed in occupations with higher concentrations of Black workers were more likely to indicate a reduction in hours and earnings compared with White workers employed in occupations with similar concentrations of Black workers during the pandemic. These results do not exist between Hispanic and White workers when comparing individuals employed in occupations with similar concentrations of Hispanic workers.