A Note on Sex, Geographic Mobility, and Career Advancement

The article presents information on sex, geographic mobility and career development. Over the past four decades, major changes in the extent and nature of female labor force participation have led to increased concern about the under-representation and lower pay of women in professional and managerial positions. Social scientists have offered a number of explanations for these disparities. One such explanation asserts that, with increasing career aspirations among women and greater prevalence of dual career marriages, sex differences in geographic mobility for occupational advancement are one barrier to women's career advancement. Both human capital theory and the crowding hypothesis suggest that lesser geographic mobility among women contributes to sex stratification in the labor force, and there is evidence that geographic mobility is related to income and occupational status. In addition, willingness to move may be valued by managers as a sign of organizational commitment.