Occupational segregation and the Gendered nature of Social capital : A Quantitative Study of Youth's Entrance on the Swedish Labor market

Abstract: On the Swedish labor market, occupational segregation has decreased during subsequent decades of the 20th century. However, it remains one of the most gender segregated labor markets in Europe. The reproduction of occupational segregation is considered a result of the intersection between structural and individual factors. In studying youth’s social capital extensity and occupational choice as well as the pathway in between, the present study fills a research gap in demonstrating a gendered nature of social capital in a country praised for its gender equity. Using LPM regression analyses on panel data acquired from the 2009 and 2013 waves of the Swedish survey Social capital and labor market integration: A cohort study, the results show support for the existence of gender differences both in accessed social capital and its influence on occupational choice. Seemingly, close members of social networks facilitate men and women into different occupations. The importance of social capital extensity however, is only present when choosing a male-dominated occupation, which is interpreted as that the preferred informal job search method is more often used in the private sector were most male-dominated occupations are found.