Publications and Research
Document Type
Working Paper
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
This paper examines the influence of fathers’ and mothers’ occupations on their children’s occupational outcomes, using a self-selection model to analyze intergenerational career mobility. By constructing and analyzing transition matrices, I estimate the extent of positive and negative self-selection for sons and daughters when they follow either their father’s or mother’s occupation. The results reveal distinct patterns for sons and daughters. Sons who follow their father’s occupation tend to avoid negative self-selection, particularly in higher-paying fields such as Professional Occupations and Technicians and Related Support Occupations, where negative self-selection is minimal. Conversely, sons following their mother’s occupation face higher rates of negative self-selection in lower-wage fields, particularly in Farming, Forestry, and Fishing (35.56%) and Service Occupations (11.11%). For daughters, negative self-selection varies significantly by occupation and parental influence. Daughters who follow their father’s occupation experience substantial negative selfselection in labor-intensive roles, such as Operators, Fabricators, and Laborers (17.62%) and Service Occupations (15.63%). When daughters follow their mother’s occupation, negative self-selection is also notable in lower-wage fields, such as Service Occupations (17.63%) and Operators, Fabricators, and Laborers (10.72%). These findings suggest that children, especially sons, achieve better economic outcomes when they follow their father’s career path, particularly in specialized or high-wage fields. However, children, both sons and daughters, who follow their mother’s occupation—especially in low-skill, low-wage sectors—face higher rates of negative self-selection.
