This presentation is part of: I00-1 Health, Education, and Welfare

The Psychology of Major Choice and Wage Differential Between Black and White Women

Margaret Letterman, Ph.D.1, Jennifer Brown, Ph.D.2, and Maryanne Clifford, Ph.D.2. (1) Psychology, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Willimantic, CT 06226, (2) Economics, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Willimantic, CT 06226

The Psychology of Major Choice and Wage Differentials between Black Women and White Women in Connecticut Authors:        Margaret Lettermen, Jennifer L. Brown, and Maryanne T. Clifford

Abstract 

Black workers in Connecticut continue to earn lower salaries than White workers, even among those with comparable levels of education. Previous research has explored the impact that the choice of college major will have on this disparity in earnings.  The results of this research suggest that, among men, Black bachelor’s degree recipients consistently choose lower paying majors than Whites.  However, among women, Black bachelor’s degree recipients have, in recent years, begun to choose higher paying majors than Whites.  This recent change in major choice among Black women is expected to result in higher starting salaries on average, helping to close the racial earnings gap for women. This paper empirically explores the distributional difference across majors between black women and white women as well as the psychological reasons for this shift among black women toward higher paying majors.


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