The Gender Earnings Gap: Some International Evidence

Abstract

Despite in many cases dramatic reductions in the male-female pay gap since the 1950s, gender differentials persist in all industrialized nations. However, the size of the gender gap varies considerably across countries. Published data suggest that, by the late 1980s, the Scandinavian countries, France, Australia and New Zealand had female-to-male hourly pay ratios of 80-90 percent, while other countries in Western Europe and the U.S. had pay ratios of roughly 65-75 percent. The U.S. was among the countries with the largest differentials.