This research activity is supported under the "Research Opportunities for Women--Planning Grant Program". The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for women, who have never been the recipient of a federal award, to undertake preliminary work to determine the feasibility of a line of research. This award will allow the investigator to begin to develop and test models to examine male/female wage differentials and occupational segregation. The investigator will pay special attention to the differences in job mobility between men and women as possible factor in explaining wage differentials. This line of research in the general area of labor economics is extremely important and timely. There is great controversy over whether wage differentials between men and women are caused mainly by discriminatory practices or whether it is mostly a result of other factors such as differences in human capital, occupational choice, willingness to relocate, career interruptions, etc. Whether wage differentials are due mainly to sex discrimination or other factors is of enormous importance in determining what public policy ought to be with respect to employment practices.
