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The Gender Wage Gap across the Wage Distribution in the Private and Public Sectors

Author

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  • Wahlberg, Roger

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

This study examines gender wage differentials across the wage distribution in the Swedish private and public sectors using quantile regression. Women have lower wages than men across the entire wage distribution. The gender gap increases throughout the distribution and there is a speeding-up effect in the gender gap starting around the 75th percentile, especially in the public sector. Hence, there is evidence of a glass ceiling effect in both the private and public sectors in the Swedish labor market. Using OLS leads to an overestimation of the wage gap at the bottom of the wage distribution, and an underestimation at the top. By focusing only on the mean gender wage gaps, considerable variations in the gender wage gap pass unnoticed.

Suggested Citation

  • Wahlberg, Roger, 2008. "The Gender Wage Gap across the Wage Distribution in the Private and Public Sectors," Working Papers in Economics 317, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0317
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/17897
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Moshe Buchinsky, 1998. "Recent Advances in Quantile Regression Models: A Practical Guideline for Empirical Research," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 33(1), pages 88-126.
    2. Hiau Joo Kee, 2006. "Glass Ceiling or Sticky Floor? Exploring the Australian Gender Pay Gap," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 82(259), pages 408-427, December.
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    4. Wiji Arulampalam & Alison L. Booth & Mark L. Bryan, 2007. "Is There a Glass Ceiling over Europe? Exploring the Gender Pay Gap across the Wage Distribution," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 60(2), pages 163-186, January.
    5. James Albrecht & Anders Bjorklund & Susan Vroman, 2003. "Is There a Glass Ceiling in Sweden?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 21(1), pages 145-177, January.
    6. Polachek, Solomon William, 1981. "Occupational Self-Selection: A Human Capital Approach to Sex Differences in Occupational Structure," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 63(1), pages 60-69, February.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quantile regression; counterfactual distribution; gender wage gap; sector;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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