Determinants of Occupational Segregation in Labor Market: A Case Study of Urban Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The present research is designed to empirically examine the determinants of occupation segregation in the workforce of urban Punjab, Pakistan. This research is conducted by using the most recent available Labor Force Survey of 2020-21. The Duncan Index, a tool that helps measure gender inequality across different professions, is used to determine occupational segregation. After determining the occupational segregation, the Tobit regression model is used to examine how factors such as women's age, education, training, working hours, marital status, and wage gaps affect segregation levels. The regression results indicate that older women are more likely to experience higher levels of segregation. However, the study finds that as the wage gap between genders grows wider, occupational segregation also increases. Furthermore, when women have higher levels of education, segregation reduces. While training and working hours show a positive association with segregation, which indicates that women are still restricted to roles that are traditionally female-labeled, and they find it difficult to manage their work commitments alongside their household chores.

Keywords- Female Labor Force Participation, Occupational Segregation, Socioeconomic Factors, Pakistan, LFS (2020-21)