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The persistence of pay inequality: The gender pay gap in an anonymous online labor market

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  • Leib Litman
  • Jonathan Robinson
  • Zohn Rosen
  • Cheskie Rosenzweig
  • Joshua Waxman
  • Lisa M Bates

Abstract

Studies of the gender pay gap are seldom able to simultaneously account for the range of alternative putative mechanisms underlying it. Using CloudResearch, an online microtask platform connecting employers to workers who perform research-related tasks, we examine whether gender pay discrepancies are still evident in a labor market characterized by anonymity, relatively homogeneous work, and flexibility. For 22,271 Mechanical Turk workers who participated in nearly 5 million tasks, we analyze hourly earnings by gender, controlling for key covariates which have been shown previously to lead to differential pay for men and women. On average, women’s hourly earnings were 10.5% lower than men’s. Several factors contributed to the gender pay gap, including the tendency for women to select tasks that have a lower advertised hourly pay. This study provides evidence that gender pay gaps can arise despite the absence of overt discrimination, labor segregation, and inflexible work arrangements, even after experience, education, and other human capital factors are controlled for. Findings highlight the need to examine other possible causes of the gender pay gap. Potential strategies for reducing the pay gap on online labor markets are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Leib Litman & Jonathan Robinson & Zohn Rosen & Cheskie Rosenzweig & Joshua Waxman & Lisa M Bates, 2020. "The persistence of pay inequality: The gender pay gap in an anonymous online labor market," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0229383
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229383
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tubaro, Paola & Coville, Marion & Le Ludec, Clément & Casilli, Antonio A., 2022. "Hidden inequalities: The gendered labour of women on micro-tasking platforms," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26.
    2. Chen, Yutong, 2024. "Does the gig economy discriminate against women? Evidence from physicians in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    3. Lars Hornuf & Daniel Vrankar, 2022. "Hourly Wages in Crowdworking: A Meta-Analysis," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 64(5), pages 553-573, October.
    4. Fröberg, Emelie & Säve-Söderbergh, Jenny & Wahlund, Richard & Wiley Wakeman, S., 2023. "The promise (and peril) in approaching gender parity: Preregistered survey experiments addressing gender inequality in negotiations," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Ramy Zeid & Dana Jasmine Alrayess & Mohamed Ihsan Ajwad & Mehmet Ali Soytas & Nayib Rivera, 2024. "The Gig Economy and the Future of Work : Global Trends and Policy Directions for Non-Standard Forms of Employment," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 190908, The World Bank.
    6. Haeckl, Simone & Kartal, Melis, 2021. "Does a stereotype benefit women in the labor market: An experiment on perseverance," UiS Working Papers in Economics and Finance 2021/5, University of Stavanger.

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