Ethnicity, country of birth and the Scottish escalator effect
van Ham, M., Findlay, A. & Manley, D. (2009) British Society for Population Studies (BSPS) Annual Conference, University of Sussex, UK, 9 - 11 September 2009 [SLS]
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Abstract:
A number of powerful forces have produced uneven opportunities for occupational advancement in Scotland. Edinburgh as capital of a devolved nation, hub for financial service activities and regional head office location for many public sector bodies certainly boasts many of the characteristics that one would expect to find in an escalator region. However, there are also many individual level factors that can influence success in the labour market. This paper seeks to unpick the complex relationships between occupational mobility, migration, ethnicity, country of birth and place of residence in Scotland. We do this using longitudinal Census data linking individual records from the 1991 and 2001 Censuses obtained via the Scottish Longitudinal Study. From the data we create logistic regression models assessing the probability that individuals in social classes 3 or 5 move upwards, and individuals in social classes 1 or 2 manage to maintain their position. Particular attention is given to the labour force experience of English-born residents of Edinburgh, whom the cross sectional literature suggests are more likely to achieve high occupational status than their Scottish counterparts.
