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Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis

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Author Info
Baron, Juan () (Australian National University)
Cobb-Clark, Deborah () (Australian National University)

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Abstract

We use HILDA data from 2001 - 2006 to analyse the source of the gender wage gap across public- and private-sector wage distributions in Australia. We are particularly interested in the role of gender segregation within sector-specific occupations in explaining relative wages. We find that, irrespective of labour market sector, the gender wage gap among low-paid, Australian workers is more than explained by differences in wage-related characteristics. The gender wage gap among high-wage workers, however, is largely unexplained in both sectors suggesting that glass ceilings (rather than sticky floors) may be prevalent. Gender differences in employment across occupations advantage (rather than disadvantage) all women except those in high-paid, private-sector jobs, while disparity in labour market experience plays a much more important role in explaining relative private-sector wages. Finally, disparity in educational qualifications and demographic characteristics are generally unimportant in explaining the gender wage gap.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 3562.

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Date of creation: Jun 2008
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3562

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Related research
Keywords: private and public sector employment; occupational segregation; gender wage gap;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Chzhen, Yekaterina & Mumford, Karen A., 2009. "Gender Gaps across the Earnings Distribution in Britain: Are Women Bossy Enough?," IZA Discussion Papers 4331, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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