Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/72342 
Year of Publication: 
2004
Series/Report no.: 
Centre for Economic Research Working Paper Series No. WP04/03
Publisher: 
University College Dublin, Department of Economics, Dublin
Abstract: 
Focussing on recent UK graduates, a wage gap of 12% is found. The unexplained component of the gap is small and a large fraction of the gap can be explained by subject choice, job characteristics, motivation and expectation variables. Motivation and expectations account for 44% of the explained gap, thus most studies over-estimate the unexplained component of the gender wage gap. Following stereotypes, women tend to be more altruistic and less career oriented than men, character traits that are less rewarded by employers. The principal component of the gender wage gap is expectations about childrearing. These conservative attitudes affect women’s wages even at an early stage of their career. Without a change in attitude, the gender wage gap is likely to remain.
Subjects: 
gender wage gap
attitude
JEL: 
J16
J13
J29
J70
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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