Changes in Worker Demographics

Shannon Cheng; Abby Corrington; Eden King; Linnea Ng

doi:10.1017/9781108278034.011

11 - Changes in Worker Demographics

from Part II - What Has Changed?

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2020

Eden King and

Edited by

Mindy K. Shoss and

Brian J. Hoffman: Affiliation:
University of Georgia
Mindy K. Shoss: Affiliation:
University of Central Florida
Lauren A. Wegman: Affiliation:
University of Georgia

Book contents

Get access

Summary

A defining feature of the contemporary workforce is its diversity. Indeed, changes in worker demographics have spurred substantial scholarship and management practice. In this chapter, we draw from population-based statistics to describe and discuss the nature of change as it refers to gender, race/ethnicity, and age diversity. We further discuss existing data and theory on change in the workforce participation of people from understudied demographic groups such as people with children, multiracial individuals, immigrants, religious minorities, gender and sexual minorities, individuals with disabilities, and socioeconomic status. In so doing, this review prompts important new directions for theory and practice.

Keywords

diversity demographics identity gender race age sexual orientation religion

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of the Changing Nature of Work , pp. 237 - 260

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108278034.011 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aaronson, S., Cajner, T., Fallick, B., Galbis-Reig, F., Smith, C., & Wascher, W. (2014). Labor force participation: Recent developments and future prospects. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2014(2), 197–275. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2014.0015 CrossRef Google Scholar

Aaronson, S., Fallick, B., Figura, A., Pingle, J. F., & Wascher, W. L. (2006). The recent decline in the labor force participation rate and its implications for potential labor supply. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2006(1), 69–154. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2006.0012 Google Scholar

Aaronson, D., Park, K. H., & Sullivan, D. G. (2006). The decline in teen labor force participation. Economic Perspectives. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=888529 Google Scholar

American Association of University Women (AAUW). (2016). The simple truth about the gender pay gap. Retrieved from www.aauw.org/aauw_check/pdf_download/show_pdf.php?file=The-Simple-Truth Google Scholar

Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1998). The effect of gender and organizational level on how survivors appraise and cope with organizational downsizing. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 34(2), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886398342001 CrossRef Google Scholar

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469 Google Scholar

Associated Press. (2009, May 28). Multiracial America is fastest growing group. NBC News. Retrieved from www.nbcnews.com/id/30986649/ns/us_news-life/t/multiracial-america-fastest-growing-group/#.Wb6sHmPADm0 Google Scholar

Avery, D. R. (2003). Reactions to diversity in recruitment advertising – are differences black and white? Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 672–679. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.4.672 Google Scholar

Ayoub, P. M., & Garretson, J. (2017). Getting the message out: Media context and global changes in attitudes toward homosexuality. Comparative Political Studies, 50(8), 1055–1085. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414016666836 Google Scholar

Berdahl, J. L., & Moore, C. (2006). Workplace harassment: Double jeopardy for minority women. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 426–436.Google Scholar

Blahovec, S. (2016). Why hire disabled workers? 4 powerful (and inclusive) companies answer. Huffington Post. Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-blahovec/why-hire-disabled-workers_b_9292912.html Google Scholar

Boneva, B. S., & Frieze, I. H. (2001). Toward a concept of a migrant personality. Journal of Social Issues, 57(3), 477–491. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00224 Google Scholar

Brundage, V. (2017). Profile of the labor force by educational attainment. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/spotlight/2017/educational-attainment-of-the-labor-force/pdf/educational-attainment-of-the-labor-force.pdf Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013). Labor force projections to 2022: The labor force participation rate continues to fall. Monthly Labor Review. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/article/labor-force-projections-to-2022-the-labor-force-participation-rate-continues-to-fall-1.htm Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Understanding the 2014–24 projections. Career Outlook. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/projections-methodology.htm Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. US Department of Labor. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/cps/tables.htm Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017a). Household data annual averages 2016. US Department of Labor. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.pdf Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017b). Databases, table, & calculators by subject [Database]. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/data/Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017c). Employment characteristics of families summary [Economic news release]. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.nr0.htm Google Scholar

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017d, May 18). Foreign-born workers: Labor force characteristics – 2016 [News Release]. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf Google Scholar

Carnevale, A. P., Jayasundera, T., & Gulish, A. (2015). Good jobs are back: College graduates are first in line. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Good-Jobs_Full_Final.pdf Google Scholar

Central Intelligence Agency (2011). The world factbook. Retrieved from www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html Google Scholar

Cilluffo, A., & Cohn, D. (2017, April 27). 10 demographic trends shaping the US and the world in 2017. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/10-demographic-trends-shaping-the-u-s-and-the-world-in-2017/Google Scholar

Cohn, D., & Caumont, A. (2016, March 31). 10 demographic trends that are shaping the US and the world. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/31/10-demographic-trends-that-are-shaping-the-u-s-and-the-world/Google Scholar

Colella, A. (1994). Organizational socialization of employees with disabilities: Critical issues and implications for workplace interventions. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 4, 87–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02110048 Google Scholar

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039 Google Scholar

Crocker, J., & Knight, K. M. (2005). Contingencies of self-worth. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(4), 200–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00364.x Google Scholar

Cuddy, A. J. C., Fiske, S. T., & Glick, P. (2007). The BIAS map: Behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(4), 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.4.631 Google Scholar

Daugherty, J., & Copen, C. (2016). Trends in attitudes about marriage, childbearing, and sexual behavior: United States, 2002, 2006–2010, and 2011–2013. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr092.pdf Google Scholar

Dell’Antonia, K. J. (2013, December 11). New act proposes national paid family leave policy. New York Times. Retrieved from https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/new-act-proposes-national-paid-family-leave-policy/?_r=1 Google Scholar

Diefendorff, J. M., Brown, D. J., Kamin, A. M., & Lord, R. G. (2002). Examining the roles of job involvement and work centrality in predicting organizational citizenship behaviors and job performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.123 Google Scholar

Donnelly, G. (2017). See how your state ranks in employment among workers with disabilities. Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2017/02/28/disability-employment-rank/Google Scholar

Dunlop, C. (2009). Female power; women in the workforce. The Economist. Retrieved from www.economist.com/node/15174418 Google Scholar

Dwertmann, D. J., & Boehm, S. A. (2016). Status matters: The asymmetric effects of supervisor–subordinate disability incongruence and climate for inclusion. Academy of Management Journal, 59(1), 44–64. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0093 Google Scholar

Dwertmann, D. J., Nishii, L. H., & van Knippenberg, D. (2016). Disentangling the fairness & discrimination and synergy perspectives on diversity climate: moving the field forward. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1136–1168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316630380 Google Scholar

Eagly, A. H. (1987). Sex differences in social behavior: A social-role interpretation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar

Fassmann, H., & Munz, R. (Eds.). (1994). European migration in the late twentieth century: Historical patterns, actual trends, and social implications. Laxenburg, Austria: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.CrossRef Google Scholar

Gates, G. J. (2011, April). How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender? The Williams Institute. Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/census-lgbt-demographics-studies/how-many-people-are-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender/Google Scholar

Hudson, I. Z., & Schenck, S. (2001). America: Land of opportunity or exploitation? Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal, 19(2), 351–388.Google Scholar

Human Rights Campaign. (2012). Growing up LGBT in America. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved from www.hrc.org/youth-report/view-and-share-statistics Google Scholar

Human Rights Campaign. (2016a). Corporate equality index 2017: Rating workplaces on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. Retrieved from www.hrc.org/campaigns/corporate-equality-index Google Scholar

Human Rights Campaign. (2016b). State maps of laws and policies. Retrieved from www.hrc.org/state-maps Google Scholar

Katz, L. F., & Krueger, A. B. (2017). Documenting decline in US economic mobility. Science, 356(6336), 382–383. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan3264 Google Scholar

Kraus, L. (2017). 2016 Disability Statistics Annual Report. Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire. Retrieved from https://disabilitycompendium.org/sites/default/files/user-uploads/2016_AnnualReport.pdf Google Scholar

Lerman, R., & Schmidt, S. (1999). An overview of economic, social, and demographic trends affecting the US labor market. US Department of Labor. Retrieved from www.dol.gov/dol/aboutdol/history/herman/reports/futurework/conference/trends/Trendsintro.htm Google Scholar

Masci, D. (2016, January 8). Q&A: Why millennials are less religious than older Americans. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/08/qa-why-millennials-are-less-religious-than-older-americans/Google Scholar

Mathews, T. J., & Hamilton, B. E. (2002). Mean age of mother, 1970–2000. National Vital Statistics Reports, 51(1), 1–14.Google Scholar

Mathews, T. J., & Hamilton, B. E. (2016). Mean age of mothers is on the rise: United States, 2000–2014 (NCHS data brief no 232). Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db232.htm Google Scholar

McGuire, G. M. (2002). Gender, race, and the shadow structure. Gender & Society, 16(3), 303–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243202016003003 Google Scholar

McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., Liao, H., & Morris, M. A. (2011). Does diversity climate lead to customer satisfaction? It depends on the service climate and business unit demography. Organization Science, 22(3), 788–803. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0550 Google Scholar

McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., & Morris, M. A. (2008). Mean racial‐ethnic differences in employee sales performance: The moderating role of diversity climate. Personnel Psychology, 61(2), 349–374. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2008.00116.x Google Scholar

Morgan, W. B., & King, E. B. (2012). The association between work–family guilt and pro‐and anti‐social work behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 68(4), 684–703. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2012.01771.x Google Scholar

Mosisa, A., & Hipple, S. (2006). Trends in labor force participation in the United States. Monthly Labor Review, 129(35), 35–57.Google Scholar

Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2017). Immigration projected to drive growth in US working-age population through at least 2035. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/08/immigration-projected-to-drive-growth-in-u-s-working-age-population-through-at-least-2035/Google Scholar

Passel, J. S., Cohn, D., & Lopez, M. H. (2011). Hispanics account for more than half of nation’s growth in past decade. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewhispanic.org/2011/03/24/hispanics-account-for-more-than-half-of-nations-growth-in-past-decade/Google Scholar

Passel, J. S., Livingston, G., & Cohn, D. (2012). Explaining why minority births now outnumber white births. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/05/17/explaining-why-minority-births-now-outnumber-white-births/Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. (2015a, December 9). The American middle class is losing ground. Retrieved from www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/09/the-american-middle-class-is-losing-ground/Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. (2015b, May 12). America’s changing religious landscape. Retrieved from www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. (2015c, April 2). The future of world religions: Population growth projections, 2010–2050. Retrieved from www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. (2015d, June 11). Multiracial in America: Proud, diverse, and growing in numbers. Retrieved from www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/06/11/multiracial-in-america/Google Scholar

Pew Research Center. (2016, December 13). Religion and education around the world. Retrieved from www.pewforum.org/2016/12/13/religion-and-education-around-the-world/Google Scholar

Ponnuru, R. (2017, September 27). Trump takes a (calculated) risk on immigration. Bloomberg. Retrieved from www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-09-17/trump-takes-a-calculated-risk-on-immigration Google Scholar

Reskin, B. F. (2000). Getting it right: Sex and race inequality in work organizations. Annual Review of Sociology, 26(1), 707–709. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.26.1.707 Google Scholar

Ridgeway, C., & England, P. (2007). Sociological approaches to sex discrimination in employment. In Crosby, F. J., Stockdale, M. S., & Ropp, S. A. (Eds.), Sex segregation in the workplace: Trends, explanations, remedies (pp. 189–211). Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar

Ryan, C. L., & Bauman, K. (2016, March). Educational attainment in the United States: 2015. U.S Census Bureau. Retrieved from www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20–578.pdf Google Scholar

Sandefur, G. D., Martin, M., Eggerling-Boeck, J., Mannon, S. E., & Meier, A. M. (2001). An overview of racial and demographic trends. In Smeiser, N. J., Wilson, W. J., & Mitchell, F. (Eds.), America becoming: Racial trends and their consequences (pp. 40–102). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.Google Scholar

Santuzzi, A. M., Waltz, P. R., Finkelstein, L. M., & Rupp, D. E. (2014). Invisible disabilities: Unique challenges for employees and organizations. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 7(2), 204–219. https://doi.org/10.1111/iops.12134 Google Scholar

Schmidt, J. A., & Lee, K. (2008). Voluntary retirement and organizational turnover intentions: The differential associations with work and non-work commitment constructs. Journal of Business and Psychology, 22(4), 297–309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869–008-9068-y Google Scholar

Shapiro, J. R., King, E. B., & Quinones, M. A. (2007). Expectations of obese trainees: How stigmatized trainee characteristics influence training effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 239–249. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.239 Google Scholar

Sherkat, D. E. (2014). Changing faith: The dynamics and consequences of Americans’ shifting religious identities. New York, NY: New York University Press. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814741269.001.0001 Google Scholar

Steinmetz, K. (2017, April 4). The NCAA lifted its North Carolina boycott. Here’s what that could mean for LGBT rights. Time. Retrieved from http://time.com/4725014/ncaa-north-carolina-repeal-hb2-decision/Google Scholar

Stone, D. L., & Colella, A. (1996). A model of factors affecting the treatment of disabled individuals in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 21(2), 352–401. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1996.9605060216 Google Scholar

Taylor, C. J. (2010). Occupational sex composition and the gendered availability of workplace support. Gender & Society, 24(2), 189–212. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243209359912 Google Scholar

Tindall, G. B., & Shi, D. E. (2016). America: A narrative history (10th ed.), Vol. 2. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.Google Scholar

Toossi, M. (2006). A new look at long-term labor force projections to 2050. Monthly Labor Review, 129(11), 19–39.Google Scholar

Toossi, M. (2015). Labor force projections to 2024: The labor force is growing, but slowly. Monthly Labor Review, December. https://doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2015.48 Google Scholar

Toossi, M., & Morisi, T. L. (2017). Women in the workforce before, during, and after the Great Recession. Spotlight on Statistics. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/spotlight/2017/women-in-the-workforce-before-during-and-after-the-great-recession/home.htm Google Scholar

Unlawful Employment Practices. (2010). 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2.Google Scholar

US Census Bureau. (2015). Projections of the size and composition of the US population: 2014 to 2060. (Report No. P25–1143). Retrieved from www.census.gov/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.html Google Scholar

US Census Bureau. (2016). Income and poverty in the United States: 2015. Retrieved from www.census.gov/data/tables/2016/demo/income-poverty/p60-256.html Google Scholar

US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Digest of Education Statistics, 2015 (NCES 2016-014), Chapter 3. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98 Google Scholar

US Department of Labor. (2014). Regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Retrieved from www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503.htm Google Scholar

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2016). Charge statistics (charges filed with EEOC) FY 1997 through FY 2016. Retrieved from www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/charges.cfm Google Scholar

US Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. (1995). A solid investment: Making full use of the nation’s human capital. Retrieved from www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/reich/reports/ceiling2.pdf Google Scholar

Vilorio, D. (2016, March). Education Matters. Career Outlook. US Census Bureau. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2016/data-on-display/education-matters.htm Google Scholar

Wolla, S. A. (2014, May). The economics of immigration: A story of substitutes and complements. Retrieved from https://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/page1-econ/2014/05/01/the-economics-of-immigration-a-story-of-substitutes-and-complements/Google Scholar

Yagan, D. (2016). Is the great recession really over? Longitudinal evidence of enduring employment impacts. Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar

Zong, J., & Batalova, J. (2017). Frequently requested statistics on immigrants and immigration in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states Google Scholar

Book contents

11 - Changes in Worker Demographics

Summary

Keywords

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive