International Journal of Sport Management

Investigating the Occupational Segregation and Wage Disparities
 of U.S. Spectator Sports Employees
 in Same-Sex Cohabitating Relationships

Jeffrey D. MacCharles, Richard J. Paulsen, Lauren C. Hindman

Abstract: The U.S. spectator sports industry has long lacked diversity in its workforce, and while data regarding the gender and racial make-up of that workforce is readily available, less is known about employees from other marginalized groups, such as those with marginalized sexual identities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine if, and how, occupational segregation of sport employees with marginalized sexual identities is manifested within the industry, and if they experience wage discrepancies compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS), regression analyses were used to examine the roles and wages of employees in same-sex cohabitating relationships. Results show that women and men in same-sex cohabitating relationships are overrepresented in roles associated with the opposite gender, and while, broadly, women in same-sex cohabitating relationships experience increased earnings relative to their counterparts in opposite-sex cohabitating relationships, the earnings of men in same-sex cohabitating relationships are highly role-dependent.

Citation: MacCharles, J. D., Paulsen, R. J., & Hindman, L. C. (2024). Investigating the occupational segregation and wage disparities of U.S. spectator sports employees in same-sex cohabitating relationships. International Journal of Sport Management, 25(3), 225-256.

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