Longitudinal Latent Class Analysis of College-Educated Women's Economic Attainment Patterns During Mid-Career

• In Event: 34.055 - Career Development and Attainment in Career and Technical Education

Abstract

The present study used latent profile analysis to analyze U.S. college-educated women’s mid-career development by classifying their economic attainment (annual income) patterns. Participants were selected from a nationally representative database, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. The study identified five latent classes of college-educated women; the classes were referred to as sustained-growth women, steady-decline-end-rebound women, low-stagnant-growth women, late-leave-end-rebound women, and early-leave-mid-rebound women. The majority of participants belonged to sustained-growth women, whose economic attainment consistently increased during their mid-career stage. Job satisfaction and family characteristics of the five economic attainment classes were then examined. The study found no particular pattern in job satisfaction that discriminates individual classes. The most family-oriented class of the five appeared to be sustained-growth women.

Authors

• Hyojung Han, University of Georgia - Athens

• Jay W. Rojewski, University of Georgia