Abstract:
This paper seeks to identify the relationship between parental occupations and gender-specific
career aspirations of undergraduate students. To do this, we conducted surveys with fourth-year
undergraduate students in eight universities of Lahore, Pakistan. These surveys have collected data
on demographic characteristics, parental occupations, and career aspirations. The results show that
a high mother’s skill level is associated with higher career aspirations for children especially
females. Father’s higher skill level has a negative impact on a child’s career aspiration and this
does not differ across genders. Furthermore, as career aspirations are determinant of one’s career
choices and attitude, therefore, the obtained results are beneficial in understanding and analyzing
the prevailing gender gap in labor market.
