PATTERNS OF MOBILITY FOR WOMEN IN FEMALE-DOMINATED OCCUPATIONS - AN EVENT-HISTORY ANALYSIS OF 2 BIRTH COHORTS OF SWISS WOMEN

Occupational sex segregation is a major structural barrier to occupati onal mobility for women. This study examines the influence of individu al women's education, work attachment, and labour-market location on t he likelihood of moving out of female-dominated occupations in the Swi ss context. The study employs Cox's proportional hazards model with ti me-varying covariates, focusing on Swiss women, from the 1949-51 and 1 959-61 cohorts in the German-speaking region of Switzerland, who enter ed the labour market through a female-dominated occupation. The result s show that both basic and further education have an important impact on mobility across occupational sex types. Participation in advanced f urther training aimed at obtaining higher credentials significantly in creases the chances of moving out of female-dominated occupations, whe reas frequent participation in occupational updating reinforces the in cumbency in such an occupation. Basic education has a strong curviline ar effect on the propensity to move out, with the apprenticeship group being the least likely to exit from a female occupation among all edu cational groups. The results are strongly consistent with Switzerland' s specific socioeconomic and cultural environment, including its highl y differentiated and vocation-oriented educational system, a right lin k between education and occupational allocation, and a conservative cu ltural climate pertaining to gender roles.