摘要: Two contrasting trends concerning gender and racial wage levels for Americanworkers emerged in the 1980s. The first trend is that women made tremendous gains in their wages relative to those of men. However, over the course of the... 展开 Two contrasting trends concerning gender and racial wage levels for Americanworkers emerged in the 1980s. The first trend is that women made tremendous gains in their wages relative to those of men. However, over the course of the 1980s, the pay disparity between blacks and whites increased for both women and men. The research sought to explain why these different trends emerged. Findings indicate that human capital attainment, meaning education and work experience, contributed to the narrowing of the gender gap. The single largest explanation for the increased earnings gap between blacks and whites is due to economic restructuring. Employment shifted away from manufacturing and union jobs toward other industries and non-union employment. 收起