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How wide is the gap? An investigation of gender wage differences using quantile regression

Author

Listed:
  • Angel López-Nicolás

    (Departament d'Economia i Empresa. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. C/Ramón Trias Fargas, 25, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.)

  • Jaume García

    (Departament d'Economia i Empresa. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. C/Ramón Trias Fargas, 25, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.)

  • Pedro J. Hernández

    (Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico. Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Campus de Espinardo. Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.)

Abstract

In this paper we re-examine the link between subjective perceptions and objective measures of wage discrimination by estimating the mean and several quantiles in the conditional wage distribution of men and women in order to decompose the gender wage gap into the part attributed to different characteristics and the part attributable to differential returns to these characteristics at points other than the conditional expectation. In the process we take into account the endogeneity of educational choice and the participation decision of women. The results suggest that the absolute wage gap and the component of the latter that can be attributed to different returns to characteristics increase over the wage scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Angel López-Nicolás & Jaume García & Pedro J. Hernández, 2001. "How wide is the gap? An investigation of gender wage differences using quantile regression," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 149-167.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:26:y:2001:i:1:p:149-167
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wage differentials · quantile regression.;

    JEL classification:

    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination
    • C4 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics

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