Female-male earnings differentials in the founder countries of the european economic community: An econometric investigation

Summary In this study an attempt was made to find out whether the female-male earnings differentials in the six founder countries of the EEC were caused by the differences in the work characteristics of the two groups or by a systematic bias against women. In cases where discrimination against women appeared to exist an estimate was made of its degree. It was found that in all countries considered, with the exception of the Netherlands, women had lower average earnings even after standardizing for their different work characteristics. In these countries a substantial part of the female-male earnings differential could not be explained by the differences in the work characteristics of women and could be attributed to other factors, among which sexual prejudice seemed the most likely.