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Males at the Tails: How Socioeconomic Status Shapes the Gender Gap

Author

Listed:
  • David Autor
  • David Figlio
  • Krzysztof Karbownik
  • Jeffrey Roth
  • Melanie Wasserman

Abstract

We document that the female advantage in childhood behavioural and academic outcomes is driven by gender gaps at the extremes of the outcome distribution. Using unconditional quantile regression, we show that family socioeconomic status particularly influences boys’ relative to girls’ outcomes at the lower tails of the outcome distribution, precisely where gender gaps are most pronounced. These relationships are not explained by school or neighbourhood factors, or parents’ differential treatment of boys. The disproportionate effect of socioeconomic status on boys at the tails substantially contributes to the gender gap in high school dropout.

Suggested Citation

  • David Autor & David Figlio & Krzysztof Karbownik & Jeffrey Roth & Melanie Wasserman, 2023. "Males at the Tails: How Socioeconomic Status Shapes the Gender Gap," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(656), pages 3136-3152.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:133:y:2023:i:656:p:3136-3152.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/uead069
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    Cited by:

    1. France Portrait & Yvonne Krabbe-Alkemade & Trynke Hoekstra & Kristina Thompson & Hanna Rusticus, 2025. "Trajectories of long-term care entitlements in severely disabled older adults using nationwide Dutch data," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Devereux, Paul J. & Delaney, Judith, 2021. "Gender and Educational Achievement: Stylized Facts and Causal Evidence," CEPR Discussion Papers 15753, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Paterson, Molly & Parasnis, Jaai & Rendall, Michelle, 2024. "Gender, socioeconomic status, and numeracy test scores," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    4. Holmlund, Helena & Rainer, Helmut & Reich, Patrick, 2023. "All geared towards success? Cultural origins of gender gaps in student achievement," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 222-242.
    5. Nancy Reichman & Hope Corman & Dhaval M. Dave & Ariel Kalil & Ofira Schwartz-Soicher, 2020. "Effects of Welfare Reform on Parenting," NBER Working Papers 28077, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Emmanuel Ngoy & Carla Sá & Paula Veiga, 2024. "Exploring socioeconomic-related inequality in children’s cognitive achievement in Peru," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 22(3), pages 809-832, September.
    7. Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Svaleryd & Jonas Vlachos & Xuemeng Wang, 2026. "Classrooms as Workplaces: How Student Composition Affects Teacher Health," CESifo Working Paper Series 12468, CESifo.
    8. Røed, Marianne & Schøne, Pål & Strøm, Marte, 2025. "How important is girls’ ‘Biological Head Start’ in explaining gender differences in education and the labour market?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    9. Berlinski, Samuel & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna & Sóñora-Noya, Alba, 2025. "Gender gaps in early childhood development in Latin America and the Caribbean," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    10. Fedeli, Emanuele & Triventi, Moris, 2026. "Relative standings in school: Teacher-induced student hierarchy and educational outcomes," SocArXiv jevdr_v2, Center for Open Science.
    11. Battisti, Michele & Kinne, Lavinia & Fedorets, Alexandra, 2022. "Cognitive Skills among Adults: An Impeding Factor for Gender Convergence?," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264110, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Huber, Stefanie J. & Paule-Paludkiewicz, Hannah, 2024. "Gender norms and the gender gap in higher education," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Buhl-Wiggers, Julie & Thornton, Rebecca & Valenzuela, Irina, 2025. "Girls outperforming boys: Pre-school gender gap in literacy and numeracy skills in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    14. Sander de Vries, 2025. "Measuring Family (Dis)Advantage: Lessons from Detailed Parental Information," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 25-010/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    15. Fidjeland, Andreas & Rege, Mari & Solli, Ingeborg F. & Størksen, Ingunn, 2023. "Reducing the gender gap in early learning: Evidence from a field experiment in Norwegian preschools," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    16. Nancy Reichman & Hope Corman & Dhaval M. Dave & Ariel Kalil & Ofira Schwartz-Soicher, 2020. "Effects of Welfare Reform on Parenting," Working Papers 2020-163, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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