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Gender-Specific Application Behaviour, Matching, and the Residual Gender Earnings Gap

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  • Benjamin Lochner
  • Christian Merkl

Abstract

This paper examines how gender-specific application behaviour, firms’ hiring practices and flexibility demands relate to the gender earnings gap, using linked data from the German Job Vacancy Survey and administrative records. Women are less likely than men to apply to high-wage firms with high flexibility requirements, although their hiring chances are similar when they do. We show that compensating differentials for firms’ flexibility demands help explain the residual gender earnings gap. Among women, mothers experience the largest earnings penalties relative to men in jobs with high flexibility requirements.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Lochner & Christian Merkl, 2026. "Gender-Specific Application Behaviour, Matching, and the Residual Gender Earnings Gap," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 136(673), pages 97-124.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:136:y:2026:i:673:p:97-124.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/ueaf037
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    2. Benjamin Lochner & Christian Merkl, 2026. "Gender-Specific Application Behaviour, Matching, and the Residual Gender Earnings Gap," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 136(673), pages 97-124.
    3. Hannah Illing & Hanna Schwank & Linh T. Tô, 2024. "Hiring and the Dynamics of the Gender Gap," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 339, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    4. Nick Deschachtⓡ & Sunčica Vujićⓡ & Oscar Frison, 2025. "The Greedy Jobs Phenomenon as a Driving Force Behind the Gender Pay Gap: A Systematic Review," De Economist, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 177-204, March.
    5. Celina Högn & Lea Mayer & Johannes Rincke & Erwin Winkler, 2025. "Preferences for Gender Diversity in High-Profile Jobs," CESifo Working Paper Series 11732, CESifo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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