More or less unequal? Evidence on the pay of men and women from the British Birth Cohort Studies

Abstract

Gender pay differences are not merely a problem for women returning to work and part-time employees, but also for those in full-time, continuous careers. In data from cohort studies, the gender wage gap for full time workers in their early thirties fell between 1978 and 2000. This equalisation reflects improvements in women’s education and experience, rather more than a move towards equal treatment. Indeed, had the typical woman full-timer in 2000 been paid at men’s rates she would have actually received higher pay than the typical man. Women in one cohort faced increasing inequality as they aged from 33 to 42, partly due to differences in qualifications and experience. However, unequal treatment also rose among women employed full-time at both ages