IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/118205.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The gender gap in UK academic economics 1996-2018: progress, stagnation and retreat

Author

Listed:
  • Bateman, Victoria
  • Hengel, Erin

Abstract

This article reports on women’s representation in UK economics over the last quarter century. While progress has been made, women in 2018 were only 32 percent of economics undergraduate students and 26 percent of academic economists. Our data also suggest several areas of stagnation and retreat. First, the percentage of female UK nationals studying economics is low and falling over time. Second, female economists are substantially more likely to be employed at lower academic ranks and in fixed-term—and generally lower status—teaching- and research-only positions. Third, the representation of women is especially low among ethnic minorities studying for an economics PhD. And finally, the percentage of economics professors with Asian ethnicity who are women has been falling over time, and at no point between 2012-2018 was a Black female professor of economics employed anywhere in the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Bateman, Victoria & Hengel, Erin, 2023. "The gender gap in UK academic economics 1996-2018: progress, stagnation and retreat," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118205, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:118205
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/118205/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Card & Stefano DellaVigna & Patricia Funk & Nagore Iriberri, 2020. "Are Referees and Editors in Economics Gender Neutral?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(1), pages 269-327.
    2. Giulia Zacchia, 2021. "What Does It Take to Be Top Women Economists? An Analysis Using Rankings in RePEc," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 170-193, April.
    3. Heather Sarsons & Klarita Gërxhani & Ernesto Reuben & Arthur Schram, 2021. "Gender Differences in Recognition for Group Work," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(1), pages 101-147.
    4. Pascaline Dupas & Alicia Sasser Modestino & Muriel Niederle & Justin Wolfers & The Seminar Dynamics Collective, 2021. "Gender and the Dynamics of Economics Seminars," NBER Working Papers 28494, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. David Blackaby & Alison L Booth & Jeff Frank, 2005. "Outside Offers And The Gender Pay Gap: Empirical Evidence From the UK Academic Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(501), pages 81-107, February.
    6. Karen Mumford, "undated". "The Gender Balance of Academic Economics in the UK," Discussion Papers 97/21, Department of Economics, University of York.
    7. David Blackaby & Alison L Booth & Jeff Frank, 2005. "Outside Offers And The Gender Pay Gap: Empirical Evidence From the UK Academic Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(501), pages 81-107, February.
    8. Carolina Cañibano & Mary Frank Fox & F. Javier Otamendi, 2016. "Gender and patterns of temporary mobility among researchers," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 43(3), pages 320-331.
    9. Donna K. Ginther & Shulamit Kahn, 2004. "Women in Economics: Moving Up or Falling Off the Academic Career Ladder?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 193-214, Summer.
    10. Betsey Stevenson & Hanna Zlotnik, 2018. "Representations of Men and Women in Introductory Economics Textbooks," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 180-185, May.
    11. Karen Mumford & Cristina Sechel, 2020. "Pay and Job Rank among Academic Economists in the UK: Is Gender Relevant?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(1), pages 82-113, March.
    12. Emmanuelle Auriol & Guido Friebel & Alisa Weinberger & Sascha Wilhelm, 2022. "Underrepresentation of women in the economics profession more pronounced in the United States compared to heterogeneous Europe," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(16), pages 2118853119-, April.
    13. Camila Orozco Espinel & Rebeca Gomez Betancourt, 2022. "A History of the Institutionalization of Feminist Economics through Its Tensions and Founders," Post-Print halshs-03759904, HAL.
    14. Gamage, Danula K. & Sevilla, Almudena & Smith, Sarah, 2020. "Women in Economics: A UK Perspective," IZA Discussion Papers 13477, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Blackaby, David & Frank, Jeff, 2000. "Ethnic and Other Minority Representation in UK Academic Economics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(464), pages 293-311, June.
    16. Melanie Ward, 2001. "The gender salary gap in British academia," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(13), pages 1669-1681.
    17. Nicole Fortin & Thomas Lemieux & Marit Rehavi, 2021. "Gender Differences in Fields of Specialization and Placement Outcomes among PhDs in Economics," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 74-79, May.
    18. Jennifer L. Doleac & Erin Hengel & Elizabeth Pancotti, 2021. "Diversity in Economics Seminars: Who Gives Invited Talks?," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 55-59, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Karen Mumford & Cristina Sechel, 2017. "Pay, Rank and Job Satisfaction amongst Academic Economists in the UK," Discussion Papers 17/17, Department of Economics, University of York.
    2. Karen Mumford & Cristina Sechel, 2020. "Pay and Job Rank among Academic Economists in the UK: Is Gender Relevant?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(1), pages 82-113, March.
    3. Davies, Benjamin, 2022. "Gender sorting among economists: Evidence from the NBER," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Jenny Bourne & Nathan D. Grawe & Michael Hemesath & Prathi Seneviratne & Maya Jensen, 2024. "The Disappearing Gender Gap in Scholarly Publication of Economists at Liberal Arts Colleges," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 117-134, January.
    5. Emily C. Marshall & Brian O’Roark, 2023. "Journal Authorship by Gender: A Comparison of Economic Education, General Interest, and Fields From 2009 to 2019," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 68(1), pages 100-109, March.
    6. Cory Koedel & Trang Pham, 2023. "The Narrowing Gender Wage Gap Among Faculty at Public Universities in the U.S," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    7. Gamage, Danula K. & Sevilla, Almudena & Smith, Sarah, 2020. "Women in Economics: A UK Perspective," IZA Discussion Papers 13477, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Auriol, Emmanuelle & Friebel, Guido & Weinberger, Alisa & ,, 2021. "Women in Economics: Europe and the World," CEPR Discussion Papers 16686, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Laura Hospido & Carlos Sanz, 2021. "Gender Gaps in the Evaluation of Research: Evidence from Submissions to Economics Conferences," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(3), pages 590-618, June.
    10. Brooks, Chris & Fenton, Evelyn M. & Walker, James T., 2014. "Gender and the evaluation of research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 990-1001.
    11. Clément Bosquet & Pierre‐Philippe Combes & Cecilia García‐Peñalosa, 2019. "Gender and Promotions: Evidence from Academic Economists in France," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(3), pages 1020-1053, July.
    12. Chen, Jihui Susan & Liu, Qihong & Billger, Sherrilyn M., 2012. "Where Do New Ph.D. Economists Go? Evidence from Recent Initial Job Placements," IZA Discussion Papers 6990, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Bosquet, Clément & Combes, Pierre-Philippe & Garcia-Penalosa, Cecilia, 2013. "Gender and competition: evidence from academic promotions in France," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 58350, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Joan Daouli & Eirini Konstantina Nikolatou, 2015. "The Market for Ph.D. Holders in Greece: Probit and Multinomial Logit Analysis of their Employment Status," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 13(1), pages 47-74.
    15. Laura Hospido & Luc Laeven & Ana Lamo, 2022. "The Gender Promotion Gap: Evidence from Central Banking," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(5), pages 981-996, December.
    16. James Walker & Anna Vignoles & Mark Collins, 2010. "Higher education academic salaries in the UK," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 12-35, January.
    17. Shingo Takahashi & Ana Maria Takahashi, 2009. "Gender Promotion Differences in Economics Departments in Japan: A Semi-parametric Duration Analysis," Working Papers EMS_2009_09, Research Institute, International University of Japan.
    18. Ana Maria Takahashi & Shingo Takahashi & Thomas Maloney, 2015. "Gender salary and promotion gaps in Japanese academia: Results from science and engineering," Working Papers EMS_2015_02, Research Institute, International University of Japan.
    19. David Card & Stefano DellaVigna & Patricia Funk & Nagore Iriberri, 2022. "Gender Differences in Peer Recognition by Economists," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(5), pages 1937-1971, September.
    20. Booth, Alison L., 2009. "Gender and competition," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 599-606, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; diversity; labour market equality; women in the economics profession; gender gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:118205. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.