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A Short History of the Gender Wage Gap in Britain

Author

Listed:
  • Bryson, Alex

    (University College London)

  • Joshi, Heather

    (University College London)

  • Wielgoszewska, Bożena

    (University College London)

  • Wilkinson, David

    (University College London)

Abstract

After shrinking dramatically during World War Two the gender wage gap (GWG) narrowed again in the early 1970s due to the Equal Pay Act. The GWG has closed across birth cohorts at all points in the adult life-cycle but remains. Within birth cohort it rises to middle age before falling again. Among those born in 1958, the raw GWG was 16 percentage points among workers aged 23, rising to 35 percentage points at 42. Among those born in 1970 the gaps were 9 and 31 percentage points at age 26 and age 42 respectively. Differences in men's and women's work experience in mid-life account for much but not all of the raw gap in both cohorts. The GWG is a little larger early in the life cycle when accounting for non-random selection into employment but selection plays no role later in life. Policy options for closing the remaining gap are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Bryson, Alex & Joshi, Heather & Wielgoszewska, Bożena & Wilkinson, David, 2020. "A Short History of the Gender Wage Gap in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 13289, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13289
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jérôme Adda & Christian Dustmann & Katrien Stevens, 2017. "The Career Costs of Children," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 125(2), pages 293-337.
    2. Blau, Francine D & Kahn, Lawrence M, 1997. "Swimming Upstream: Trends in the Gender Wage Differential in 1980s," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 1-42, January.
    3. Wright, Robert E & Ermisch, John F, 1991. "Gender Discrimination in the British Labour Market: A Reassessment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(406), pages 508-522, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson, 2020. "Job Satisfaction Over the Life Course," NBER Working Papers 28206, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Sam Parsons & Alex Bryson & Alice Sullivan, 2024. "Teenage conduct problems: a lifetime of disadvantage in the labour market?," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 76(1), pages 60-80.
    3. Heather Joshi & Alexander Bryson & David Wilkinson & Kelly Ward, 2021. "The gender gap in wages over the life course: Evidence from a British cohort born in 1958," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 397-415, January.
    4. Bachan, Ray & Bryson, Alex, 2022. "The Gender Wage Gap Among University Vice Chancellors in the UK," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Bengtsson, Erik & Molinder, Jakob, 2024. "Incomes and income inequality in Stockholm, 1870–1970: Evidence from micro data," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Bozena Wielgoszewska & Alex Bryson & Monica Costa-Dias & Francesca Foliano & Heather Joshi & David Wilkinson, 2021. "Exploring the Reasons for Labour Market Gender Inequality a Year into the Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the UK Cohort Studies," DoQSS Working Papers 21-23, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    7. Bryson, Alex & Conti, Gabriella & Hardy, Rebecca & Peycheva, Darina & Sullivan, Alice, 2022. "The consequences of early menopause and menopause symptoms for labour market participation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    8. Sevilla, Almudena, 2020. "Gender Economics: An Assessment," IZA Discussion Papers 13877, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment selection; birth cohorts; labour force participation; gender wage gap; sample attrition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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