Causes and Consequences of Women's Employment Discontinuity, 1967-1973

Using a sample of young White women from 1967 to 1973, this research finds support for the hypothesis that a single break in employment has immediate, adverse effects on occupational attainment. Job changes that were interrupted by an employment break yielded significantly lower gains in wages and job status than did uninterrupted job shifts and had relatively higher rates of downward job mobility. A critical factor was marital status, with married women having significantly higher rates of interrupted job mobility and significantly lower rates of uninterrupted job mobility. Structural explanations for the negative consequences of employment discontinuity are contrasted with a human capital explanation.