Selection, heterogeneity and the gender wage gap

Arbeitspapier

Selection correction methods usually make assumptions about selection itself. In the case of gender wage gap estimation, those assumptions are specially tenuous because of high female non-participation and because selection could be different in different parts of the labor market. This paper proposes an estimator for the wage gap that allows for arbitrary heterogeneity in selection. It applies to the subpopulation of always employed women, which is similar to men in labor force attachment. Using CPS data from 1976 to 2005, I show that the gap has narrowed substantially from a -.521 to a -.263 log wage points differential for this population.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 7005

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
• Subject: selection ; gender wage gap ; Lohndifferenzierung ; Schätztheorie ; Schätzung ; USA

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Machado, Cecilia
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/67289
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET