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Is the Gender Pay Gap Largest at the Top?

Author

Listed:
  • Ariel J. Binder
  • Amanda Eng
  • Kendall Houghton
  • Andrew Foote

Abstract

No: it is at least as large at bottom percentiles of the earnings distribution. Conditional quantile regressions reveal that while the gap at top percentiles is largest among the most-educated, the gap at bottom percentiles is largest among the least-educated. Gender differences in labor supply create more pay inequality among the least-educated than they do among the most-educated. The pay gap has declined throughout the distribution since 2006, but it declined more for the most-educated women. Current economics-of-gender research focuses heavily on the top end; equal emphasis should be placed on mechanisms driving gender inequality for noncollege-educated workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ariel J. Binder & Amanda Eng & Kendall Houghton & Andrew Foote, 2023. "Is the Gender Pay Gap Largest at the Top?," Working Papers 23-61, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:23-61
    as

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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2023/adrm/ces/CES-WP-23-61.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2023
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender pay gap; education; conditional quantile regression; glass ceiling; labor supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • 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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