Class, race, and job matching in contemporary urban labor markets

Objective. Recent research on job matching has demonstrated the significance of personal contacts in linking workers to jobs. Few studies, however, have examined how these dynamics vary by class position. I investigate this issue, focusing on non-searches in addition to formal and informal job matching. Methods. Data are drawn from the Multi-City Survey of Urban Inequality, which is based on a random sample of households in Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles. Results. Statistical analyses show that job matching varies significantly by class position, with managers more likely to be matched through nonsearches, skilled labor through formal channels, and general labor through personal intermediaries. The analyses also show that differences in racial composition among classes cannot fully explain this variation nor its effects on hourly wages. Conclusions. These findings suggest that class position plays a key role in shaping contemporary job matching and merits more detailed attention in future research

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