Race, ethnicity, and the gender poverty gap

Abstract

We use data from the Current Population Survey (CPS 1994–2001) to document the relationship between gender-specific demographic variations and the gender poverty gap among seven racial/ethnic groups. We find that black and Puerto Rican women experience extreme economic hardship owing to being both women and members of a minority group. As compared with whites, however, gender inequality among other minority groups is relatively small. By utilizing a standardization technique, we are able to estimate the extent to which gender variation in demographic and socioeconomic composition determines gender differences in poverty rates both within and across racial and ethnic lines. The findings highlight the importance of considering gender-specific differences in human capital, employment, family structure, and immigration characteristics in an analysis of gender inequality in poverty. However, the form and magnitude of these factors vary substantially across racial and ethnic lines. Contrary to our expectations, the results suggest that immigration status may have an equalizing effect on the gender gap in poverty. The social and economic implications of the findings for the study of gender inequality are discussed in the final section of the paper.