Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/21046 
Year of Publication: 
2000
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 202
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We present a theoretical explanation of the gender wage gap which turns on the interaction between men and women in households. In equilibria where men are over-represented in fulltime work, we show that firms rationally choose to hire women only at strictly lower wages than men. The model developed predicts a gap even controlling for education, occupation and industry of workers and does so in a competitive labor market where there exist no inherent gender differences. We test our theory using CPS data over the period 1979-98 and find it is strongly supported by the data.
Subjects: 
Gender discrimination
household models
wage gap
JEL: 
J41
J16
J71
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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