The Evolution of Gender Gaps in Industrialized Countries

Olivetti, Claudia; Petrongolo, Bárbara

doi:10.1146/annurev-economics-080614-115329

Cited by 256 publications

(190 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…Reviews of this literature have been provided by, for example, Altonji and Blank (1999), Bertrand (2011), Blau and Kahn (2016), and Olivetti and Petrongolo (2016). The contribution of our paper lies partly in the data gathering exercise: we have assembled micro datasets containing information on gender, earnings, labour supply, age, children, education and gender attitudes for a large set of countries over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender Inequality and Economic Development: Fertility, Education and Norms

Kleven

Landais

2017

Economica

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We document the evolution of gender inequality in labour market outcomes-earnings, labour supply and wage rates-over the path of economic development, and present evidence on the potential reasons for this evolution. To this end, we have created a micro database that compiles 248 surveys from 53 countries between 1967 and 2014, covering a wide range of per capita income levels. There is large convergence in the earnings of men and women over the path of development, driven by female labour force participation and wage rates. We argue that the single most important factor behind this convergence is demographic transition: the effects of children on gender gaps ('child penalties') are large at both low and high levels of development, but fertility declines drastically over the growth process and thus reduces the aggregate implications of children. We also document gender convergence in educational attainment and consider its effects on earnings inequality, arguing that these are significant but less dramatic than the effects of fertility. Finally, we document striking changes in the values or norms surrounding the role of women with children, implying that such changes could serve as a reinforcing mechanism for gender convergence.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our paper complements a voluminous literature on gender gaps in the labour market, which provides evidence from specific countries or from across high-income countries. Reviews of this literature have been provided by, for example, Altonji and Blank (1999), Bertrand (2011), Blau and Kahn (2016), and Olivetti and Petrongolo (2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Inequality and Economic Development: Fertility, Education and Norms

Kleven

Landais

2017

Economica

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“…Access to workplace flexibility (i.e., "the ability of workers to make choices influencing when, where, and for how long they engage in work-related tasks," Hill et al, 2008, p. 152) may, however, differ considerably between workers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2016). Given that persistent gender gaps are observed in many aspects of working lives-for example, in labor participation, job quality, representation in leadership positions, earnings (Olivetti & Petrongolo, 2016;OECD, 2017)-an important question is whether a gender gap in workplace flexibility can be observed among older workers as well. Such a gender gap would suggest that older women face less beneficial working conditions than men, making prolonged employment more difficult.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in Perceived Workplace Flexibility Among Older Workers in the Netherlands: A Brief Report

Damman

Henkens

2018

J Appl Gerontol

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Flexibility in work schedule and work location have been suggested as being work features that may promote prolonged employment among older workers. This study focuses on the question whether access to workplace flexibility differs between male and female older workers and how potential differences can be explained. Analyses are based on data collected in 2015 among 4,813 Dutch older workers (age 60-65 years), who were employed in the government, education, care, and welfare sectors. Results show that the studied women on average perceive to have less workplace flexibility than men, both in work schedule and in work location. The gender difference in perceived location flexibility can be fully explained by differences in the human capital and job characteristics of male and female older workers. The gender difference in perceived schedule flexibility can be captured less clearly by these factors. This disadvantaged position of late-career women warrants attention in discussions about prolonged employment.

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“…Thus, when labor opportunities for women increase, so does the opportunity cost of raising children [3,15,33]. Moreover, theory and evidence suggest that, on average, women have a comparative advantage in educationintensive work, while men have comparative advantage in brawn-based modes of production [34,35]. Thus, when an economy reallocates towards agriculture, the opportunity cost for women to raise children may decrease, leading to an increase in fertility.…”

Section: Effects Through Structural Transformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of climate change on fertility*

Casey

Shayegh

Moreno‐Cruz

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

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We examine the potential for climate change to impact fertility via adaptations in human behavior. We start by discussing a wide range of economic channels through which climate change might impact fertility, including sectoral reallocation, the gender wage gap, longevity, and child mortality. Then, we build a quantitative model that combines standard economic-demographic theory with existing estimates of the economic consequences of climate change. In the model, increases in global temperature affect agricultural and non-agricultural sectors differently. Near the equator, where many poor countries are located, climate change has a larger negative effect on agriculture. The resulting scarcity in agricultural goods acts as a force towards higher agricultural prices and wages, leading to a labor reallocation into this sector. Since agriculture makes less use of skilled labor, climate damage decreases the return to acquiring skills, inducing parents to invest less resources in the education of each child and to increase fertility. These patterns are reversed at higher latitudes, suggesting that climate change may exacerbate inequities by reducing fertility and increasing education in richer northern countries, while increasing fertility and reducing education in poorer tropical countries. While the model only examines the role of one mechanism, it suggests that climate change could have an impact on fertility, indicating the need for future work on this important topic.Climate change will have a substantial impact on the economy [1,2]. There is also a broad consensus that economic factors affect fertility [3][4][5]. Thus, climate change has the potential to affect fertility patterns. 9

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The Evolution of Gender Gaps in Industrialized Countries

Cited by 256 publications

References 104 publications

Gender Inequality and Economic Development: Fertility, Education and Norms

Gender Inequality and Economic Development: Fertility, Education and Norms

Gender Differences in Perceived Workplace Flexibility Among Older Workers in the Netherlands: A Brief Report

The impact of climate change on fertility*

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