Psychological traits and the gender gap in full-time employment and wages: Evidence from Germany

This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data

Psychological traits and the gender gap in full-time employment and wages: Evidence from Germany

Author Info

Nils Braakmann () (Institute of Economics, University of Lüneburg)

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Nils Braakmann

Abstract

This paper shows that differences in various non-cognitive traits, specifically the “big five”, positive and negative reciprocity, locus of control and risk aversion, contribute to gender inequalities in wages and employment. Using the 2004 and 2005 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel, evidence from regression and decomposition techniques suggests that gender differences in psychological traits are more important for inequalities in wages than in employment. Differences in the “big five”, in particular in agreeableness, conscientiousness and neurocitism matter for both wages and employment. For the latter, the results also show a large effect of differences in external locus of control.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics in its series Working Paper Series in Economics with number 112.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 37 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2009
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:lue:wpaper:112

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://leuphana.de/institute/ivwl.html

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Joachim Wagner).

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

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-ALL-2009-01-31 (All new papers)
NEP-CBE-2009-01-31 (Cognitive & Behavioural Economics)
NEP-LAB-2009-01-31 (Labour Economics)

References listed on IDEAS
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.:

Borghans Lex & Lee Duckworth Angela & Heckman James J. & Weel Bas ter, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," Research Memoranda 001, Maastricht : ROA, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Lex Borghans & Angela Lee Duckworth & James J. Heckman & Bas ter Weel, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," Working Papers 200827, Geary Institute, University College Dublin. [Downloadable!]
- Borghans, Lex & Duckworth, Angela Lee & Heckman, James J. & Weel, Bas ter, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 010, United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
- Lex Borghans & Angela Lee Duckworth & James J. Heckman & Bas ter Weel, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," NBER Working Papers 13810, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Borghans, Lex & Duckworth, Angela Lee & Heckman, James J. & ter Weel, Bas, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," IZA Discussion Papers 3333, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
- Lex Borghans & Angela Lee Duckworth & James J. Heckman & Bas ter Weel, 2008. "The Economics and Psychology of Personality Traits," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(4). [Downloadable!] (restricted)
James Andreoni & Lise Vesterlund, 2001. "Which Is The Fair Sex? Gender Differences In Altruism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 116(1), pages 293-312, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Andreoni, James & Vesterlund, Lise, 2001. "Which is the Fair Sex? Gender Differences in Altruism," Staff General Research Papers 1951, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
Samuel Bowles & Herbert Gintis & Melissa Osborne, 2001. "The Determinants of Earnings: A Behavioral Approach," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1137-1176, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Lex Borghans & Bas ter Weel & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2008. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(4). [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Lex Borghans & Bas ter Weel & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2006. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 2466, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
- Weinberg, Bruce A. & Borghans, Lex & Weel, Bas ter, 2006. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 045, United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
- Lex Borghans & Bas ter Weel & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2007. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 12846, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
- Borghans Lex & Weel Bas ter & Weinberg Bruce A., 2007. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," Research Memoranda 001, Maastricht : ROA, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market. [Downloadable!]
Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2001. "Boys Will Be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence, And Common Stock Investment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 116(1), pages 261-292, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)

Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? You can include your works in the database easily by uploading them on the Munich Personal RePEc Archive (MPRA) if you do not have access to an institutional RePEc archive.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-26.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.