Wage Inequalities in Europe: Influence of Gender and Family Status

The achievement of gender pay equality has become a
central topic on the policy agendas of many countries
under the directive of the European Union.
Nevertheless, pay differentials between work of equal
value continue to be observed without significantevidence of improvement. Labour economists have taken
a deep interest in the estimated gender pay gap and
the identification of its causes. This book adds to
this literature by providing new answers to explain
this phenomenon. We use a panel of European countries
and investigate the role of human capital, unobserved
heterogeneity and wage structure on the gender pay at
a specific moment in time and over time. It also
investigates the causes of the pay gap beyond gender
differences and takes a look at the penalty women
face for having children and the role of family
policies. Finally, it particularly analyses the
situation of those mothers who are the most
vulnerable on the labour market: single mothers. The
analysis should help shed some more light on gender
pay equality, and should be useful to academics and
researchers working on gender issues, but also to
policy makers and other stakeholders dealing with
gender mainstreaming.

Autorentext

Salimata Sissoko, Ph.D.: Economics and Business at the FreeUniversity of Brussels (ULB). Expert in Labour market at theFederal Planning Bureau (Belgium) and teaching assistant inpolitical economics at the Free University of Brussels.

Klappentext

The achievement of gender pay equality has become acentral topic on the policy agendas of many countriesunder the directive of the European Union.Nevertheless, pay differentials between work of equalvalue continue to be observed without significantevidence of improvement. Labour economists have takena deep interest in the estimated gender pay gap andthe identification of its causes. This book adds tothis literature by providing new answers to explainthis phenomenon. We use a panel of European countriesand investigate the role of human capital, unobservedheterogeneity and wage structure on the gender pay ata specific moment in time and over time. It alsoinvestigates the causes of the pay gap beyond genderdifferences and takes a look at the penalty womenface for having children and the role of familypolicies. Finally, it particularly analyses thesituation of those mothers who are the mostvulnerable on the labour market: single mothers. Theanalysis should help shed some more light on genderpay equality, and should be useful to academics andresearchers working on gender issues, but also topolicy makers and other stakeholders dealing withgender mainstreaming.