The Skills and Economic Status of American Jewry: Trends over the Last Half-Century

The General Social Surveys Cumulative Data File is used to analyze the schooling, occupational status, and earnings of American Jews. Jews are identified by a question on religion at age 16. The analysis focuses on trends within the survey period and intergenerational changes from the father to the respondent. Ceteris paribus, Jews have significantly higher levels of schooling, occupational status, and earnings than other whites, and within the survey period there is no trend in the differential. The Jewish fathers also had higher levels of achievement than other fathers, but the differentials increased from the father's to the respondent's generation.