%0 Journal Article
%T Can Workers in Low
%A Jaison R. Abel
%A Richard Florida
%A Todd Gabe
%J Economic Development Quarterly
%@ 1552-3543
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0891242419838324
%X There is growing concern over rising economic inequality, the decline of the middle class, and a polarization of the U.S. workforce. This study examines the extent to which workers in the United States transition from low-end to higher-quality occupations, and explores the factors associated with such a move up the job ladder. Using data covering the expansion following the Great Recession (2011-2017) and focusing on short-term (i.e., less than 1 year) labor market transitions, the authors find that just slightly more than 5% of workers in low-end occupations moved into a higher-quality occupation. Instead, around 70% of workers in low-end occupations stayed in the same occupation, 11% exited the labor force, 7% became unemployed, and 6% switched to a different low-end occupation. Study results point to the importance of educational attainment in helping workers successfully climb the job ladder
%K low-wage jobs
%K job ladder
%K labor market dynamics
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891242419838324