Ethnic inequality and segregation in jobs

This paper describes ethnic job inequality and segregation for men and women in the Metropolitan Toronto labour force. The data sources are a study of ethnic group control of jobs, including a 1977-1979 survey (N=1879) representing the "majority Canadian" group and eight ethnic minorities, and 1971 Census data. Three occupational rewards are considered: job status, income and job security. Impacts of four job qualifications are analyzed: years and type of education, years of work experience, and knowledge of English. Job segregation in occupations and in organizational work settings is analyzed by occupational reward level and by generation. The findings suggest that ethnic job segregation is important in the allocation of job rewards. Three ethnic groups, Italians, Portuguese and West Indians, are segregated in occupations and work settings with low job status and incomes. But overall, Italian men earn as much as majority Canadian men because they are frequently concentrated in occupations and work settings which are highly paid. Two groups, Jews and Chinese, are highly educated and have high status jobs. But only Jewish men earn high incomes, again because of occupational and work-setting segregation. Ukrainians and Germans are the only ethnic minority groups to earn high incomes without relying upon a significant degree of job segregation. West Indians have lower job status and incomes than would be expected on the basis of job qualifications