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One Man's Blessing, Another Woman's Curse? Family Factors and the Gender-Earnings Gap of Doctors

Author

Listed:
  • Stefanie Schurer

    (School of Economics and Finance, Victoria University of Wellington; and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

  • Daniel Kuehnle

    (School of Business and Economics, The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)

  • Anthony Scott

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

  • Terence Chai Cheng

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Using data from a new longitudinal survey of doctors from Australia, the authors test whether observed large gender-pay gaps among general practitioners (GPs) are the result of women’s larger willingness to interrupt their careers. On average, female GPs earn A$83,000 or 54% less than male GPs. The difference between men and women with children is A$105,000, and A$45,000 for men and women without children. Of this gap, 66-75% is explained by differences in observable characteristics such as hours worked. The family gap emerges also within the sexes. Female GPs with children experience an earnings penalty of A$15,000-A$25,000 in comparison to women without children; almost 100% of this difference is due to observable characteristics such as hours worked and career interruptions. Male GPs with children experience a family premium of A$35,000 in comparison to men without children, indicating the presence of a breadwinner effect that exacerbates the gender-earnings gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefanie Schurer & Daniel Kuehnle & Anthony Scott & Terence Chai Cheng, 2012. "One Man's Blessing, Another Woman's Curse? Family Factors and the Gender-Earnings Gap of Doctors," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2012n24, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2012n24
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender-earnings gap; family-earnings gap; labour force attachment; decomposition methods; family physicians; MABEL;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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