Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, University of London
Abstract
This paper examines cohort and gender differences in occupational attainment in Britain. Using data from the three British Birth Cohort studies, I investigate the process of occupational attainment up to age 34 using a scale based on occupational earnings. Although qualifications appear to have stronger effects on occupational attainment for women than for men at both labour market entry and in the midthirties, I find no consistent evidence that the importance of qualifications is becoming greater across cohorts, either for men or for women. Also, there are no indications that the effects of occupation at labour market entry on men’s and women’s later occupational attainment have been strengthening over time. However, the findings do point to the possibility of cohort-specific effects: the experience of men and women in the 1958 cohort consistently differs from that of those in both the 1946 and 1970 cohorts
