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Inequality-Adjusted Gender Wage Differentials in Germany

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  • Ekaterina Selezneva
  • Philippe Van Kerm

Abstract

This paper exploits data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) to re-examine the gender wage gap in Germany on the basis of inequality-adjusted measures of wage differentials which fully account for gender differences in pay distributions. The inequality-adjusted gender pay gap measures are significantly larger than suggested by standard indicators, especially in East Germany. Women appear penalized twice, with both lower mean wages and greater wage inequality. A hypothetical risky investment question collected in 2004 in the SOEP is used to estimate individual risk aversion parameters and benchmark the ranges of inequality-adjusted wage differentials measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Ekaterina Selezneva & Philippe Van Kerm, 2013. "Inequality-Adjusted Gender Wage Differentials in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 579, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp579
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender gap; wage differentials; wage inequality; expected utility; risk aversion; East and West Germany; SOEP; Singh-Maddala distribution; copula-based selection model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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