Race, ageism and the slide from privileged occupations

Area of Science:

• Sociology of work
• Gerontology
• Racial and ethnic studies

Background:

• Workplace inequality research often focuses on race, but less on ageism's impact on minority workers.
• Understanding age and ageism's consequences for minority workers' downward mobility is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine job loss and downward mobility among older African Americans and Whites (55+).
• To investigate how race and ageism intersect to affect employment trajectories.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.
• Controlled for background attributes, distinguishing patterns by job status (managerial/professional vs. technical/blue-collar) and gender.

Main Results:

• Older African Americans experience significantly higher rates of downward mobility than their White counterparts.
• This disparity is not explained by conventional factors like human capital or job characteristics.
• Inequalities are more pronounced for men and those in higher-status managerial/professional roles.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight unique inequalities rooted in ageism and minority status in the workplace.
• Results underscore the need to address ageism alongside racial bias in labor market scholarship.
• An ageism-centered approach is suggested to correct existing race and labor market disparities.