Whose Job Is It Anyway?: An Intersectional Analysis of Occupational Devaluation by Gender and Migration Background in Europe

WIP Seminar

Tuesday, May 19
12:15 to 13:00
UNIL - Géopolis, Room 5799

Mattia Guarnerio: "Whose Job Is It Anyway? An Intersectional Analysis of Occupational Devaluation by Gender and Migration Background in Europe

This paper examines occupational wage inequality by gender and migration background across 21 European countries from an intersectional perspective. Using pooled cross-sectional data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), the analysis focuses on the extent to which occupational composition by gender and migration background is associated with systematic differences in median pay, distinguishing between migrants of EU and non-EU origin. Findings show that occupations with higher shares of women and migrants are related to lower median wages, net of educational composition and labour market demand. These patterns do not correspond to an intersectional double devaluation of feminised, migrant-typed occupations. Instead, the evidence points to a complementary dynamic: the double valorisation of masculinised, native-dominated occupations, particularly where non-EU migrant representation is low. However, country-specific analyses reveal substantial heterogeneity among European countries. While patterns of double valorisation emerge most clearly in Belgium and Sweden, Austria and Cyprus exhibit patterns consistent with double devaluation. This study contributes to devaluation theory by highlighting the central role of native men’s multiply privileged occupational position in shaping wage inequality in European labour markets.