Occupational Segregation and COVID-19: A Sociological Analysis of Racial and Gender Disparities in Job Loss and Recovery

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented economic upheaval that magnified pre-existing inequalities in the U.S. labor market. This study examines how occupational segregation by race and gender contributed to disparate job losses and shaped the trajectory of employment recovery. Drawing on Intersectionality Theory and Dual Labor Market Theory as a theoretical framework, we conduct an interdisciplinary analysis blending sociology and labor economics perspectives. We integrate an extensive literature review with original analyses of secondary data (Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, and American Community Survey) to assess racial and gender disparities in unemployment, labor force exits, and rehiring during the pandemic. Consistent with prior research, we find that women and workers of color experienced disproportionately severe job losses in the spring of 2020, reflecting their overrepresentation in vulnerable, low-wage service occupations​. Intersectional vulnerabilities were especially evident for women of color, who faced compounded disadvantages in both job displacement and caregiving burdens. As the labor market rebounded, these groups saw employment recover more slowly, though strong fiscal stimulus eventually facilitated a return to pre-pandemic employment levels for many. Our findings underscore how structural inequalities—rooted in segregated labor markets and intersecting axes of oppression—produced unequal outcomes in the COVID-19 era, and we discuss policy implications for a more equitable recovery.