Status, Autonomy, and Training in Occupational Mobility

Abstract

The effect of socioeconomic background on occupational attainment is well established. But the effect of status does not account for all of the association between occupational origins and destinations. The amount of autonomy accorded to workers and the degree of specialization in the training required of them are also important for mobility. Men whose fathers were entrepreneurs or were employed in other positions that require little supervision are more likely than men whose fathers were closely supervised to enter occupations that offer at least some degree of on-the-job autonomy. Autonomy and training are especially important for immobility. Men whose fathers were autonomous or specially trained are more likely than other men to be immobile. A model incorporating the effects of socioeconomic status, on-the-job autonomy, and specialized training is fitted to the 1962 and 1973 Occupational Changes in a Generation data. The models fits the data well with few parameters. Subpopulations defined by race, age, and education are also analyzed. The analysis provides new insight into the weakening of the association between origins and destinations between 1962 and 1973, the convergence of black and white mobility patterns, and the role of education as an intervening variable in the mobility process.