Using Longitudinal Data to Explore the Gender Gap for Academic Economists
Author: Kelly Bedard
Author: Maxine Lee
Author: Heather Royer
Abstract: There are widespread gender inequities within the economics discipline. In this paper, we collect and analyze new longitudinal salary and personnel data from top economics departments at public institutions. A panel spanning 2005 to 2018 allows us to follow individuals and facilitates the examination of gender gaps in career progression, salary growth, and mobility. Using these data, we document the growth of salary gender gaps with the length of time in the profession, emerging roughly 10 years after the start of one's career. Some of these gaps are attributable to women moving through academic ranks more slowly than men.
Date: 2021-05-01
URL: https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/pandp.20211087
Accessed: 11/3/2021, 11:05:08 AM
Volume: 111
Pages: 69-73
Publication: AEA Papers and Proceedings
Reading Notes:
Objective: To measure the gender wage gap in economist salaries and how it changes with experience
Importance: Adds to the literature with a panel of economist salaries, rather than using cross-sectional data
Background: Although there is a lot of evidence of discrimination against women in the economics profession, research on gender pay gaps among economists have show negligible differences, particularly at entry-level
Data & Key Variables: Collected salaries via online databases (CA) and FOIA requests to public universities in the top 50 schools (2017 US News & World Report)
2005-Most recent year available. 27 institutions, 1406 individuals: 254 women and 1102 men
Methodology: Regression of log salary on the interaction between gender and experience dummies for 0-9, 10-19, and 20+ years of experience
Controls for years since Ph.D. Ph.D. institution, field, and current institution
Results: The primary source of the gender gap for economists early in their careers is initial job placement. But the gender gap within institutions rises between the first 10 years and subsequent 10 years.
Women are also less likely than men to continue in their year 5 institution by year 8 (signaling they did not receive tenure)
Comments: Sample limited to top 50 universities. No non-academic economists nor lower-level academic institutions
Key Table/Figure:
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