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The job satisfaction gender gap among young recent university graduates: Evidence from Catalonia

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  • Mora, Toni
  • Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the gender differences in job satisfaction reported by recent university graduates in Catalonia (Spain). The data allows distinguishing five areas of job satisfaction: work content, promotion possibilities, earnings, applicability of acquired knowledge, and job security. Young and highly educated women in this study report a lower satisfaction with some aspects of their job. For two of the five job satisfaction domains, the lower reported level can be explained by differences in observable characteristics, notably wages and type of contract. For two other satisfaction domains we are unable to explain the lower female satisfaction level although we argue that unobservables are the most plausible explanation. This is surprising given the nature of the sample, i.e. very young and highly educated population.

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  • Mora, Toni & Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada, 2009. "The job satisfaction gender gap among young recent university graduates: Evidence from Catalonia," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 581-589, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:38:y:2009:i:4:p:581-589
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    3. Simona Iammarino & Elisabetta Marinelli & Elisabetta Marinelli, 2011. "Is the Grass Greener on the other Side of the Fence? Graduate Mobility and Job Satisfaction in Italy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(11), pages 2761-2777, November.
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    5. Burone, Santiago & Méndez, Luciana, 2022. "Are women and men equally happy at work? Evidence from PhD holders at a public university in Uruguay," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    6. Beatriz Herrera Sabillón & Maria Gerster‐Bentaya & Andrea Knierim, 2022. "Measuring farmers' well‐being: Influence of farm‐level factors on satisfaction with work and quality of life," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(2), pages 452-471, June.
    7. Dunja VujiÄ ić & Ana JoviÄ ić & Danijela Lalić & Snježana Gagić & Aleksandar Cvejanov, 2015. "The relation between job insecurity, job satisfaction and organizational commitment among employees in the tourism sector in Novi Sad," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 36(4), pages 633-652, November.
    8. Peter Heimerl & Marco Haid & Urban Perkmann & Martin Rabensteiner, 2020. "Job Satisfaction as a Driver for Sustainable Development in the Hospitality Industry? Evidence from the Alpine Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Esther Martínez‐Garcia & Joan Sorribes & Dolors Celma, 2018. "Sustainable Development through CSR in Human Resource Management Practices: The Effects of the Economic Crisis on Job Quality," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 441-456, July.
    10. Ana Jovičić & Dunja Vujičić & Radovan Oreščanin & Danijela Lalić, 2013. "Job Satisfaction In The Service Organizations In Serbia," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(4.1), pages 88-99, december.
    11. Brody Heritage & Clare Pollock & Lynne Roberts, 2014. "Validation of the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-10, March.
    12. Furnham, Adrain & Wilson, Emma, 2011. "Gender differences in estimated salaries: A UK study," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 623-630.
    13. Roberto Pico-Saltos & David Sabando-Vera & Marcela Yonfa-Medranda & Javier Garzás & Andrés Redchuk, 2022. "Hierarchical Component Model (HCM) of Career Success and the Moderating Effect of Gender, from the Perspective of University Alumni: Multigroup Analysis and Empirical Evidence from Quevedo, Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, December.
    14. Mariana Santis & Marcelo Florensa & María Cecilia Gáname & Pedro Esteban Moncarz, 2021. "Job Satisfaction of Recent University Graduates in Economics Sciences: The Role of the Match Between Formal Education and Job Requirements," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3157-3197, October.
    15. Toni Mora, 2010. "BMI and Spanish labour status: evidence by gender from the city of Barcelona," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 11(3), pages 239-253, June.

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