Report

Sexual Orientation and Sex Differences in Socioeconomic Status

A population-based investigation in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health
September 2018

This study examines an array of socioeconomic status indicators across sexual orientation groups, separately by sex, in a large, population-based sample. The paper was published Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in September 2018.

AUTHORS
  • Kerith J. Conron
    Research Director, Former
  • Shoshana K. Goldberg
    Research Consultant, Former
  • Carolyn T. Halpern
    Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health
Highlights
Sexual minorities, especially females, are of lower socioeconomic status than their heterosexual counterparts.
Sexual minority females were less likely to graduate college and more likely to be unemployed, poor/near-poor, and report economic hardships.
Sexual minority males were more likely than heterosexuals to be college graduates, but have lower personal incomes.
Sexual Orientation and Sex Differences in Socioeconomic Status