Analysing trends in US and Danish gender wage gaps in the 1980s and 1990s

Abstract

Trends in US and Danish gender wage gaps in the 1980s and 1990s are analysed within the framework of simple auto-regressive time-series models. Results show a saturation effect in the wage progress of women in Denmark at a level of 85% but no similar signs of stabilization in the USA. Also, no evidence is found that business cycle variables can explain the development of the gender wage gap in either country during this time period.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funds from the Danish Social Science Research Foundation's FREJA grant. The authors thank Kristina Ven⊘ Rostbo for competent research assistance on this paper.

Notes

¹ Results are available from the authors on request.