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Interpreting Wage Gaps of Disabled Men: The Roles of Productivity and of Discrimination

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  • Simonetta Longhi
  • Cheti Nicoletti
  • Lucinda Platt

Abstract

Using the UK Labour Force Survey, we study wage gaps for disabled men after the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act. We estimate wage gaps at the mean and at different quantiles of the wage distribution and decompose them into a part explained by differences in workers' and job characteristics, a part that can be ascribed to health‐related reduced productivity, and a residual part. The large original wage gaps reduce substantially when we control for differences in education and occupation, although significant residuals remain. However, when we isolate productivity differences between disabled and nondisabled workers, the residual wage gap becomes insignificant in most cases.

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  • Simonetta Longhi & Cheti Nicoletti & Lucinda Platt, 2012. "Interpreting Wage Gaps of Disabled Men: The Roles of Productivity and of Discrimination," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 78(3), pages 931-953, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:soecon:v:78:y:2012:i:3:p:931-953
    DOI: 10.4284/0038-4038-78.3.931
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    3. Bryan, Mark & Bryce, Andrew & Rice, Nigel & Roberts, Jennifer & Sechel, Cristina, 2022. "Exploring mental health disability gaps in the labour market: the UK experience during COVID-19," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Alexandre Costa, Rayssa & Nunes de Almeida, Alexandre & Martins Costa, Edward & Urano de Carvalho Castelar, Pablo & de Souza Nunes, Erivelton, 2022. "The effects of occupational mobility on wages of rehabilitated workers in Brazil," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    5. Melanie Jones, 2024. "Disability and trade union membership in the UK," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(1), pages 28-49, March.

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