Occupational sex segregation in Britain, 1979-89: the persistence of sexual stereotyping

Occupational sex segregation in the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1989 showed a decline, but this was slow, both in occupations where men predominated, and where women predominated, according to calculations using an index developed by Karmel and MacLachlan. The results indicate inefficient distribution of men and women in occupations, and exclusion especially by blue collar men, which has implications for achieving equal pay for similar jobs. Affirmative action programs are likely to have most impact on women in professional and managerial occupations, since women's occupations lower down the scale tend to lack a career structure. Deregulation of the labor market in the 1980s has hit women particularly, since part-time workers tend to be women, and any affirmative action program needs to focus on training and promotion of part-time workers if it is to be successful.