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Performance Pay, the Gender Gap, and Specialization within Marriage

Author

Listed:
  • John S. Heywood

    (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee)

  • Daniel Parent

    (HEC Montréal)

Abstract

We show that the large gender earnings gap at the top of the distribution (the glass ceiling) and the motherhood penalty are associated with each other and that both are uniquely associated with performance pay. These patterns appear consistent with specialization by gender. We show that among married couples with children, the hours worked by wives are strongly and persistently negatively correlated with earnings of the husbands only when those husbands work in performance pay jobs. There is no correlation between husbands’ hours and wives’ earnings.

Suggested Citation

  • John S. Heywood & Daniel Parent, 2017. "Performance Pay, the Gender Gap, and Specialization within Marriage," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 387-427, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jlabre:v:38:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s12122-017-9256-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s12122-017-9256-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Sylvia Fuller & Lynn Prince Cooke, 2018. "Workplace Variation in Fatherhood Wage Premiums: Do Formalization and Performance Pay Matter?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(4), pages 768-788, August.
    2. Keith A. Bender & Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood, 2021. "Performance pay and assortative matching," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 68(4), pages 485-493, September.
    3. Jones, Melanie & Kaya, Ezgi, 2022. "Performance-related Pay and the UK Gender Pay Gap," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1211, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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