Gender and Racial Inequalities in School-to-Work Linkages: The Interplay Between Horizontal Mismatch and Educational Field Specificity

• In Event: 40814 - Education

Abstract

Gender and racial wage disparities persist among highly educated workers, yet an overlooked mechanism contributing to these inequalities lies in school-to-work linkages. This study investigates horizontal mismatch—when workers are employed in jobs outside their field of study—and its consequences on wages and job satisfaction, with a particular focus on the role of educational field specificity. Using nationally representative survey data from over three million U.S. college graduates and newly developed continuous measures of education-occupation match and field specificity, we examine two core research questions: (1) Are there gender and racial disparities in the prevalence and consequences of horizontal mismatch? (2) Do these disparities vary based on educational field specificity? Our findings reveal several key insights. First, women are more likely to experience horizontal mismatch than men, even when accounting for differences in educational field specificity. Second, while higher educational field specificity strengthens school-to-work linkages, its benefits are unevenly distributed—women and racial/ethnic minorities gain fewer advantages from specialized degrees compared to White men. Finally, we find that the wage returns of horizontal match decline as field specificity increases, suggesting that specialization may reduce career flexibility and earnings potential, particularly for Black workers. These findings highlight structural inequalities in school-to-work transitions, demonstrating that increasing representation in specialized fields alone is insufficient to close wage gaps. We call for policy interventions that strengthen equitable career pathways, improve job-matching opportunities, and mitigate the penalties of horizontal mismatch, particularly for underrepresented groups.

Authors

• Ran Liu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Thao Pham, University of Wisconsin-Madison