The Effects of Competition and Equal Treatment Laws on the Gender Wage Differential

Arbeitspapier

This paper evaluates the impact of economic and legal variables on wage differentials between men and women. Since Becker (1957) economists have argued that competitive markets eliminate discrimination in the long run. On the other hand, practically all countries have enacted some sort of law mandating equal treatment of men and women. This paper uses a new international data set on the gender wage gap, which is constructed via a metaanalysis of existing studies. The findings show that both increased competition and the enactment of equal treatment laws reduce the gender wage gap.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 822

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Labor Discrimination ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
• Subject: gender wage gap ; competition ; equal treatment law ; Lohndifferenzierung ; Geschlecht ; Frauenpolitik ; Wettbewerb ; Schätzung ; Welt

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Weichselbaumer, Doris ; Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2003

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/20067
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET