Edited by the DISEI-Unifi Dept., N. Faraoni and D. Marinari
The research, carried out as part of IRPET’s joint activities with the Tuscany Region, was conducted by the Department of Economics and Business Sciences (DISEI) of the University of Florence. Natalia Faraoni and Donatella Marinari collaborated on behalf of IRPET, within the Public Economics Research Area coordinated by Patrizia Lattarulo.
The factors explaining the gender pay gap have been extensively studied in economic literature and social sciences in general, and are still debated today (Goldin, 2014; Blau & Khan, 2017). The most studied include the so-called accumulation of human capital, i.e., the level of education and/or work experience achieved by female and male workers (Goldin, 2006), discrimination, i.e., the wage penalty for female workers attributable to corporate choices for which a certain degree of discretion is possible (e.g., in hiring or career progression), and finally the so-called selection of women in lower-paying jobs, i.e., the choice of women to turn to sectors of the labor market, or to perform tasks, that are inherently less remunerative (Goldin & Rouse, 2000). In addition to the factors mentioned above, recent literature has added the study of the impact of social norms, the role played by preferences—assuming that men and women may differ in their preferences regarding aspects of the labor market that have an impact on wages (e.g., pursuing STEM careers)— – as well as the possibility that different non-cognitive skills, i.e., certain personality traits that are more or less pronounced in men or women (such as competitiveness), may contribute to differences in the wages of male and female workers (Gneezy et al., 2003; Gneezy & Rustichini 2004; Guiso et al., 2018). Among the possible explanations for the gender pay gap that are most difficult to quantify are undoubtedly the difficulties of reconciling family and work demands, especially after the birth of children. In particular, in contexts where the dominant family model is still that of the male breadwinner (according to which women are primarily responsible for childcare and unpaid domestic work, while men are primarily responsible for paid work), the greater amount of time spent by women on domestic tasks is an important factor in explaining the gender pay gap. In order to balance work and family responsibilities, women are more likely than men to choose jobs with more secure contracts, which require fewer working hours or offer greater flexibility, but which are often less well paid and offer fewer career advancement opportunities (Anxo et al., 2018; Anxo et al., 2011; Cutillo & Centra, 2017). (…)
