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Language and (the estimates of) the gender wage gap

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  • van der Velde, Lucas
  • Tyrowicz, Joanna
  • Siwinska, Joanna

Abstract

In this paper we link the estimates of the gender wage gap with the gender sensitivity of the language spoken in a given country. We find that nations with more gender neutral languages tend to be characterized by lower estimates of GWG. The results are robust to a number of sensitivity checks.

Suggested Citation

  • van der Velde, Lucas & Tyrowicz, Joanna & Siwinska, Joanna, 2015. "Language and (the estimates of) the gender wage gap," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 165-170.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:136:y:2015:i:c:p:165-170
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2015.08.014
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    12. Estefania Santacreu-Vasut & Amir Shoham & Victor Gay, 2013. "Do female/male distinctions in language matter? Evidence from gender political quotas," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 495-498, March.
    13. Remco H. Oostendorp, 2009. "Globalization and the Gender Wage Gap," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 23(1), pages 141-161, January.
    14. M. Keith Chen, 2011. "The Effect of Language on Economic Behavior: Evidence from Savings Rates, Health Behaviors, and Retirement Assets," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1820, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Dec 2012.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joanna Tyrowicz & Lucas van der Velde, 2017. "When the opportunity knocks: large structural shocks and gender wage gaps," GRAPE Working Papers 2, GRAPE Group for Research in Applied Economics.
    2. Victor Gay & Daniel L. Hicks & Estefania Santacreu-Vasut & Amir Shoham, 2018. "Decomposing culture: an analysis of gender, language, and labor supply in the household," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 879-909, December.
    3. Diana M. Hechavarría & Siri A. Terjesen & Pekka Stenholm & Malin Brännback & Stefan Lång, 2018. "More than Words: Do Gendered Linguistic Structures Widen the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurial Activity?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(5), pages 797-817, September.
    4. Strittmatter, Anthony & Wunsch, Conny, 2021. "The Gender Pay Gap Revisited with Big Data: Do Methodological Choices Matter?," Working papers 2021/05, Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel.
    5. Francis Osei‐Tutu & Laurent Weill, 2021. "Sex, language and financial inclusion," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 369-403, July.
    6. Drori, Israel & Manos, Ronny & Santacreu-Vasut, Estefania & Shenkar, Oded & Shoham, Amir, 2018. "Language and market inclusivity for women entrepreneurship: the case of microfinance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 395-415.
    7. Astghik Mavisakalyan & Yashar Tarverdi & Clas Weber, 2022. "Heaven can wait: future tense and religiosity," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 833-860, July.
    8. Paul M. Gorny & Petra Nieken & Karoline Ströhlein, 2023. "He, She, They? The Impact of Gendered Language on Economic Behavior," CESifo Working Paper Series 10458, CESifo.
    9. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Tarverdi, Yashar & Weber, Clas, 2020. "Paradise Postponed: Future Tense and Religiosity," GLO Discussion Paper Series 500, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Davis, Lewis & Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Weber, Clas, 2022. "Gendered Language and Gendered Violence," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1127, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    11. Beblo, Miriam & Görges, Luise & Markowsky, Eva, 2020. "Gender Matters in Language and Economic Behaviour: Can we Measure a Causal Cognition Effect of Speaking?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    12. repec:zbw:bofitp:2020_009 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Sergiu Burlacu & Dominique Cappelletti & Sonia Marzadro & Alessandro Tondini, 2023. "The Cost of a Vowel: How the Gender-marked Job Title Affects Ratings of Female Lawyers," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2023-06, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
    14. Francis Osei‐Tutu & Laurent Weill, 2021. "Sex, language and financial inclusion," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 369-403, July.
    15. Agnieszka Gwóźdź & Joanna Tyrowicz & Lucas van der Velde, 2017. "Luki płacowe w kraju pochodzenia i w kraju docelowym na przykładzie kobiet imigrujących na amerykański rynek pracy," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 48(3), pages 327-342.
    16. Heili Hein & Aaro Hazak & Kadri Männasoo, 2017. "Who has a better chance of getting higher salaries among creative R&D employees?," TUT Economic Research Series 39, Department of Finance and Economics, Tallinn University of Technology.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender wage gap; Language neutrality; Meta-analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • P5 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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