Table 4.13
Dimensions of wage inequality, by gender, 1973–2011
| Wage gap* | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 1979 | 1989 | 1995 | 2000 | 2007 | 2011 | 1973–1979 | 1979–1989 | 1989–2000 | 2000–2007 | 2007–2011 | ||
| A. Total wage inequality** | |||||||||||||
| 90/10 (x/y) | Men | 128.0% | 130.0% | 144.3% | 151.1% | 150.3% | 155.3% | 160.9% | 2.0 | 14.3 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.7 |
| Women | 115.9 | 103.2 | 134.9 | 137.6 | 137.7 | 143.7 | 145.9 | -12.7 | 31.8 | 2.8 | 6.0 | 2.1 | |
| 90/50 | Men | 60.3 | 58.8 | 69.2 | 76.1 | 79.5 | 83.0 | 87.7 | -1.5 | 10.4 | 10.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
| Women | 59.2 | 60.6 | 70.5 | 76.5 | 78.2 | 81.3 | 83.2 | 1.4 | 9.9 | 7.7 | 3.1 | 1.9 | |
| 50/10 | Men | 67.6 | 71.1 | 75.1 | 75.0 | 70.8 | 72.3 | 73.3 | 3.5 | 3.9 | -4.2 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Women | 56.7 | 42.5 | 64.4 | 61.1 | 59.5 | 62.4 | 62.7 | -14.2 | 21.9 | -4.9 | 2.9 | 0.2 | |
| B. Between-group inequality*** | |||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||
| College/high school | Men | 25.1% | 20.2% | 34.0% | 37.1% | 42.0% | 44.1% | 44.8% | -4.9 | 13.8 | 8.0 | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| Women | 36.5 | 25.0 | 40.0 | 46.7 | 47.9 | 48.5 | 48.7 | -11.5 | 15.0 | 7.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | |
| High school/less than high school | Men | 22.3 | 22.0 | 22.1 | 26.5 | 26.0 | 25.2 | 28.7 | -0.3 | 0.1 | 3.9 | -0.7 | 3.4 |
| Women | 26.2 | 21.3 | 26.4 | 29.8 | 29.5 | 27.7 | 26.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Experience**** | |||||||||||||
| Middle/young (35 yrs/25) |
Men | 22.0% | 21.5% | 25.7% | 26.9% | 22.9% | 24.3% | 27.5% | -0.5 | 4.1 | -2.8 | 1.4 | 3.2 |
| Women | 8.0 | 9.5 | 17.8 | 21.7 | 18.4 | 20.9 | 22.4 | 1.5 | 8.3 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | |
| Old/middle (50 yrs/35) |
Men | 3.4 | 8.2 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 8.8 | 9.4 | 11.8 | 4.7 | 4.3 | -3.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 |
| Women | -2.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 0.3 | |
| C. Within-group inequality***** | |||||||||||||
| Men | 42.3% | 42.8% | 46.7% | 47.8% | 48.1% | 50.1% | 50.7% | 1.4% | 9.0% | 3.0% | 4.2% | 1.1% | |
| Women | 41.8 | 40.2 | 44.7 | 46.7 | 45.8 | 48.4 | 48.5 | -3.8 | 11.4 | 2.4 | 5.7 | 0.2 | |
* Log wage differential
** Log wage ratio of x/y
*** Simple human capital regression of log wages; see table notes
**** Ratio x/y
***** Mean square error from same regressions as education and experience
Source: Authors' analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata
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