Gender, Inequality, and Wages

This book contains extensive research on progress made by women in the labour market, and the characteristics and causes of remaining gender inequalities. It also covers other indicators of gender inequalities, and other dimensions of inequality. It consists of a collection of previous works, both single-authored and co-authored, which have been revised and form an integrated volume dealing with inequality in the labour market. Each part is introduced by a chapter that places the work in context and explains its genesis, as well as its relevance to current research and policy, and an Epilogue brings together concluding thoughts. The chapters on the gender wage gap probe and quantify the explanations for the gap, show how it has decreased over time in the United States, and suggest explanations for this narrowing and the more recent slowdown in wage convergence. The book also considers international differences in the gender wage gap and wage inequality more generally, ascribing an important role to wage setting institutions. Other chapters more broadly consider a variety of indicators of gender inequality and how they have changed over time, and trends in female labour supply and what they indicate about changing gender roles. In addition, a successful intervention designed to increase the relative success of academic women is evaluated. Inequality by race and immigrant status are also examined, including analyses of race difference in wages and wealth, immigrant-native differences in the use of transfer payments, and the impact of gender roles in immigrant source countries on immigrant women's labour market assimilation in the United States.