The persistent gap: Exploring the earnings differential between recent
male and female postsecondary graduates
by Ted Wannell
Business and Labour Market Analysis Division
Analytical Studies Branch research paper series, No. 026
While the participation rate of women in postsecondary education and
full-time jobs increased dramatically in recent years, the earnings
gap between men and women has narrowed at a slower rate.
The National Graduates Survey (1984) and the subsequent Follow-up of
Graduates Survey (1987) provide a unique window on the earnings gap
in a very specific cohort of well-educated individuals: 1982 graduates
of Canadian universities and community colleges. The earnings differential
between male and female graduates is analyzed through both descriptive
and multivariate techniques.
The major observations include: men earn more than women in virtually
every subgroup of graduates (Ph.D. holders being the one notable exception);
the earnings gap tended to widen over time within this cohort; and,
differences in the 'wage-generating' characteristics of men and women
accounted for, at best, a third of the earnings gap.
The concluding discussion covers three topics: the larger earnings
gap among community college graduates, possible refinements to the multivariate
model and the difficulty of proving discrimination exists using survey
data.
Not available electronically.