Gender earnings ratio/gap 2002 weekly earnings ratio: =.77 “women earn 77% as much as men” “women earn 77 cents to men’s dollar” 2002 weekly earnings.

Gender earnings ratio/gap

• 2002 weekly earnings ratio:= .77• “women earn 77% as much as men”• “women earn 77 cents to men’s dollar”

• 2002 weekly earnings gap= .23• “gender wage gap of 23 cents”

note

•1980-95• increase in ratio•relative skill increases for women

•stagnates after 1995Gender Wage Ratio: 1979-2001median weekly earnings, full time, 16+

60

70

80

90

100

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999

Wo

men

's w

ages

/Men

's w

ages

why a gap in earnings?

•different skills between men and women?•by choice or constraint?

•different return to the same skills?• labor market discrimination

Earnings ratio varies

•by race•by age•by family status•by education•occupation

Gender Wage Ratio by Race: 1979-2001median weekly earnings, full time

60

70

80

90

100

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999

Wo

men

's w

ages

/Men

's w

ages

All, 16+ whiteblack Hispanic

Gender Wage Ratio by Age: 1979-2001median weekly earnings, full time

50

60

70

80

90

100

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999Wo

me

n's

wa

ge

s/M

en

's w

ag

es

16-19

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

Gender Wage Ratio by Age: 1979-2001median weekly earnings, full time

50

60

70

80

90

100

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999Wo

me

n's

wa

ge

s/M

en

's w

ag

es

16-19

20-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

age cohorts

•each generation is faring better in the labor market

•BUT•women lose ground in their 20s and 30s

0.76 0.72

0.900.66

0.67

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

total married other children<18

children<6

Gender Earnings Ratio by Family Status, 2001Median Weekly Earnings

Gender gap or motherhood gap?

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Australia Canada France U.S. Japan Sweden

Earnings Ratio, Selected Countries

1980 1998

Money income distribution

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

< $10,000

$10-24,999

$25-34,999

$35-49,999

$50-74,999

> $75,000

male % female %

Occupational Segregation

•the extent to which there are “men’s jobs” and “women’s jobs”

•in general, occupational segregation has fallen since 1970 in the U.S.

% Female in Selected Occupations

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Automobile mechanicsCashiers Engineers

Financial managers Lawyers

Physicians Police and detectives

Registered nurses Social workers

Teachers, elementary Waiters and waitresses

1995

1975

Earnings ratio & occupation

88% 87% 91%

70%

95% 93%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

RNsprogram

mers

secondary teachers

HR managers

Police

social workers

Gender Earnings Ratios by Occupation, 2002

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Medicine Law Dentistry Ph.Ds

Professional Degrees, % women

1970 2000

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

All Residents

OB/GYNPediatrics

Family Practice

SurgeryRadiology

Medical Specialties of Residents, % female 2001

75%

44%

13%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

public schoolteachers

principals superintendents

Education Occupations, % Female 2000