Socioeconomic Stratification in STEM Labor Force Entry

Chelsea Moore, University of Texas at Austin

Stratification research has long been interested in how family background affects children’s future educational and labor force success. Much less is known about the effect of family background on one’s educational and occupation success within specific fields, and given rapid advances in science and technology and a changing global economy, understanding these processes within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) may be of particular interest. This paper uses NLSY 97 to look at possible SES differences in the transition from college degree to the STEM labor force.