Gender differences in wage expectations and negotiation

Arbeitspapier

This paper presents evidence from a large-scale study on gender differences in expected wages before labor market entry. Based on data for over 15,000 students, we document a significant and large gender gap in wage expectations that resembles actual wage differences, prevails across subgroups, and along the entire distribution. Over the life-cycle this gap amounts to roughly half a million Euros. Our findings further suggest that expected wages relate to expected asking and reservation wages and that a difference in plans about "boldness" during prospective wage negotiations pertains to gender difference in expected and actual wages. Given the importance of wage expectations for labor market decisions, household bargaining, and wage setting, our results provide an explanation for persistent gender inequalities.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ECONtribute Discussion Paper ; No. 268

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty ; Expectations; Speculations ; Analysis of Education ; Higher Education; Research Institutions ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth ; Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General
• Subject: Wage expectations ; gender gap ; negotiations

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Kiessling, Lukas ; Pinger, Pia ; Seegers, Philipp ; Bergerhoff, Jan
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI)
• (where): Bonn and Cologne
• (when): 2023

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/283310
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET