Persistent Racial Differences in the Commutes of Kansas City Workers

An extensive body of research shows significant racial differences in work travel patterns (e.g., see Holzer, 1991, for a review). In the past, much of the studies on racial differences in commuting focused on men and excluded women. However, the increase in women's labor force participation has been accompanied by an increase in studies devoted to gender differences in the journey to work (e.g., Madden, 1981). Early studies concluded that women work closer to home than do men, but many studies generally assumed that working women of all racial groups have shorter work trips than do men (see Sanders, 1990, for a critique). This assumption was unfounded because research exists that documents racial differences in commuting. In light of the documented evidence on both racial and gender differences in access to employment and housing (e.g., Bullard, 1990; Darden, 1990), it is imperative that research studies should differentiate between White and nonWhite males and females when studying commuting behavior. Studies that investigate racial differences in locational access to employment can inform analysts and policy makers about the impact of past and continuing employment suburbanization on the socioeconomic well-being of African American men and women. Research on racial differences in locational access to employment falls under the umbrella of the spatial mismatch hypothesis.