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Occupational Gender Composition and Wages in Canada: 1987-1988

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  • Michael Baker
  • Nicole Fortin

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive picture, circa the late 1980s, of occupational gender segregation in Canada and its consequences for wages. Our analysis reveals sensitivity of the estimated penalty to ‘female work’ to both specification and estimation strategy. Our preferred estimates indicate that the wage penalties for women in female jobs in Canada are generally smaller than penalties in the United States. Of particular note, while there is some heterogeneity across worker groups, on average the link between female wages and gender composition is small and generally not statistically significant. JEL Classification: J71, J78 Taux de féminité des professions et salaires au Canada: 1987–88. Dans cet article, les auteurs dressent un portrait complet de la ségrégation professionnelle fondée sur le sexe au Canada à la fin des années 1980, et de ses répercussions sur le niveau des salaires. Leur analyse révèle que les évaluations de la ‘pénalité salariale’ dans les emplois féminins dépendent du choix des méthodes d'estimation et des spécifications des fonctions. Les évaluations les plus robustes indiquent que, pour les femmes au Canada, la pénalité reliée aux emplois féminins est généralement plus faible que celle qu'on trouve aux Etats‐Unis. Bien qu'on trouve des résultats différents selon les groupes de travailleurs, en moyenne, le lien entre le taux de féminité des professions et le niveau de salaires des femmes est faible, et n'est généralement pas statistiquement significatif.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Baker & Nicole Fortin, 2000. "Occupational Gender Composition and Wages in Canada: 1987-1988," CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-48, CIRANO.
    • Handle: RePEc:cir:cirwor:2000s-48
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    File URL: https://cirano.qc.ca/files/publications/2000s-48.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pay equity; comparable worth; gender composition; occupational gender segregation; wage determination; two-step estimator; Équité salariale; salaire égal pour travail de valeur comparable; taux de féminité des professions; segmentation des professions; estimateur à deux étapes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)

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