Question 1

During the 1980s, wages increased for high-skilled jobs, government sector work declined, many unionized jobs went overseas, and part-time and temporary work rose. These are all _________ explanations for labor market inequality.

Accepted Answer

These trends are structural, meaning they are caused by larger economic and societal changes rather than individual choices or differences in skills or education (human capital) or social connections (social capital).

Question 2

The United States has one of the highest levels of income inequality among all advanced economies in the world. How might you argue that this extreme inequality poses a severe problem for communities of color? Support your answer by drawing on two findings presented in Chapter 7.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The United States has one of the...

Question 3

How does the human capital advantage of work experience differ for unskilled White, Hispanic, and African American women? What are the implications of this finding?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does the human capital advantage of...

Question 4

Is it correct to state that Asian American men, regardless of national origin, have the highest average earnings in the United States? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Is it correct to state that Asian...

Question 5

Select two findings presented in Chapter 7, and explain how they evidence the intersection of race and gender in the U.S. labor market.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Select two findings presented in Chapter 7,...

Question 6

Do Asian American men's high average earnings, relative to other non-White racial/ethnic groups, provide evidence that they do not face discrimination in the labor market? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do Asian American men's high average earnings,...

Question 7

What is the difference between the unemployment rate and the jobless rate?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between the unemployment...

Question 8

Explain why incarceration rates must be taken into account in order to understand labor market inequality. Support your answer by identifying and describing two specific ways in which incarceration impacts the wage gap between Black and White men.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why incarceration rates must be taken...

Question 9

Compare and contrast individual explanations of racial disparities in earnings and employment (i.e., human capital and employer discrimination explanations) with structural explanations of these disparities (i.e., deindustrialization, skills mismatch, and split-labor market explanations). Which of these explanations do you find the most persuasive? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast individual explanations of racial...

Question 10

Explain how audit studies are designed to reveal the presence or absence of labor market discrimination. How do audit studies differ from, yet complement statistical analyses of racial discrimination in the labor market?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how audit studies are designed to...

Question 11

What was deindustrialization? Identify and describe these two ways that deindustrialization impacted wages. Which group was hit the hardest by deindustrialization?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was deindustrialization? Identify and describe these...

Question 12

Describe the split labor market and explain how affirmative action is intended to address this labor market dynamic. In light of the findings presented in Chapter 7, do you think affirmative action has effectively addressed the split labor market? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the split labor market and explain...

Question 13

Describe the ethnic enclave economy and explain why people of color might find it an appealing alternative to the conventional labor market. How does the concept of a racial ethnic enclave economy compare to traditional understandings of the ethnic enclave economy? Select and discuss a specific example that illustrates the difference between these two concepts of an enclave economy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the ethnic enclave economy and explain...

Question 14

What is an implicit bias? How does this concept help us understand discrimination in the labor market?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is an implicit bias? How does...

Question 15

Why are human capital explanations not sufficient to fully explain racial and gender inequality in the labor market?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are human capital explanations not sufficient...

Quiz 7: Income and Labor Market Inequality