Workforce patterns and income disparities in a growing US city

Abstract Using US census microdata (2013 and 2019), this article builds a refined job classification taxonomy to examine how occupational sorting across sectors shapes income disparities in the growing metropolitan area of Atlanta. We find pronounced sectoral income differences, with historically marginalized Black and Hispanic workers disproportionately concentrated in lower-income jobs. Black domestic migrants exhibit positive skill-based selection into lower-paying jobs but encounter structural barriers limiting access to higher-income employment. These findings illustrate how localized labor market dynamics and systemic inequalities reinforce persistent urban income disparities, offering an analytical framework applicable to other metropolitan contexts with increasingly polarized labor markets.