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The Persistence of the Gender Earnings Gap: Cohort Trends and the Role of Education in Twelve Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Eyal Bar-Haim

    (University of Luxembourg
    Bar-Ilan University)

  • Louis Chauvel

    (University of Luxembourg)

  • Janet C. Gornick

    (City University of New York (CUNY))

  • Anne Hartung

    (University of Luxembourg
    SATEC the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg)

Abstract

Studying twelve countries over 30 years, we examine whether women’s educational expansion has translated into a narrowing of the gender gap in earnings when including persons with zero earnings. As educational attainment is cohort-dependent, an Age-Period-Cohort analysis is most appropriate in our view. Using the micro data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database, we show that while, in terms of attainment of tertiary education, women have caught up and often even outperform men, substantial gender differences in our earnings measure persist in all countries. Using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method in an innovative age-period-cohort approach, we demonstrate that the role of education in explaining gender earnings differences has been limited and even decreased over cohorts. We also conclude that, when including persons not receiving earnings, earnings differences at levels far from gender equality will likely persist in the future, even if the “rise of women” in terms of education continues—as the share of women in higher education increases and the returns to education in particular for women declines.

Suggested Citation

  • Eyal Bar-Haim & Louis Chauvel & Janet C. Gornick & Anne Hartung, 2023. "The Persistence of the Gender Earnings Gap: Cohort Trends and the Role of Education in Twelve Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 821-841, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:165:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-022-03029-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-022-03029-x
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender gap; Education; Earnings; Age-period-cohort analysis; Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative

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