From its inception gender and pay has been a focal point in WageIndicator-research. Woliweb-research zoomed in on gender and pay in several countries: Denmark, Poland,
Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Download full publications from Publicationslist 2007
Gender pay gap Denmark much larger than thought
The unexplained gender pay gap in Denmark, according to WageIndicator stats, is almost 9 per cent. Earlier, in 2004, a register based national survey put the Danish gender pay gap at 2 per cent. The researchers point to the higher incidence of part time working women and less years of work experience as the factors probably contributing most to this structural difference in pay between men and women.
Liebing Madsen, M., & Gronbaek Jensen, M. (2007). Woliweb national report Denmark: Beregning af det uforklarede longab i Danmark.
Polish women miles behind
Only half the pay their male colleagues cash every month. That’s the fate of female workers in the Polish (male dominated) financial sector. This makes Polish financial services the absolute gender pay gap record holder in Europe compared to other industries. The overall Polish picture is that women are paid 25-30 per cent less then men, in all industries. Yet women workers in financial services and manufacturing are still relatively better off then women in the (female dominated) health and public sectors, where overall the lowest salaries are paid. Thus the Polish gender pay pattern is similar to – say – the Dutch, but differences are bigger and contrasts sharper. Polish women have a long way to go still - if equal pay for equal work is what they go for.
Andralojc, M. (2007). Woliweb national report Poland: The Gender Pay Gap. Amsterdam: WageIndicator
Belgian gender pay gap in construction: surprise
In construction Belgian women earn on average 12 per cent more than men. This is the surprising exception to the rule: the gender pay gap overall is 16.5 per cent in favour of men. This percentage doubles with age. And it is also higher than the national average in both the very small and in the largest companies. Two other factors increase the gap: high(er) education needed for and complexity of the job. But full time or part time work has no significant impact.
Pauwels, F. & Vandenbrande, T. (2007). Woliweb national report Belgium.
German gender pay gap over 20 per cent
The country report reveals a 22 per cent gender pay gap, slightly higher than official stats indicate. It is found in all regions, although it is smaller in former East Germany. It increases with company size and it manifests itself at the very start of working life, when girls earn already less than boys.
Bispinck, R. & Dribbusch, H. with Oz, F. (2007). Woliweb national report Germany: Collective bargaining coverage and gender pay gap.
Mom’s bonus in Holland
Mothers in demanding jobs are higher rewarded for years of tenure than childless women with equal years of tenure in equally demanding jobs. That’s a surprising outcome from the analysis of almost 10,000 valid data, gathered in the Netherlands in 2004. This suggests that women having children and making a career may reinforce each other and are rewarded by employers, contrary to the popular belief.
Wetzels, C.M.M.P. (2007). Women’s Wages and Double Selection Into Motherhood And Less Demanding Job: Analysis of Age Groups in The Netherlands.