AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Is the Gender Pay Gap Largest at the Top?
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 114,
May 2024
(pp. 248–53)
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 work hours 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; equal emphasis should be placed on gender inequality among non-college-educated workers.Citation
Binder, Ariel J., Amanda Eng, Kendall Houghton, and Andrew Foote. 2024. "Is the Gender Pay Gap Largest at the Top?" AEA Papers and Proceedings, 114: 248–53. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241023Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I21 Analysis of Education
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials