Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP12754
Authors: Marco Francesconi; Matthias Parey
Abstract: We use data from six cohorts of university graduates in Germany to assess the extent of gender gaps in college and labor market performance twelve to eighteen months after graduation. Men and women enter college in roughly equal numbers, but more women than men complete their degrees. Women enter college with slightly better high school grades, but women leave university with slightly lower marks. Immediately following university completion, male and female full-timers work very similar number of hours per week, but men earn more than women across the pay distribution, with an unadjusted gender gap in full-time monthly earnings of about 20 log points on average. Including a large set of controls reduces the gap to 5–10 log points. The single most important proximate factor that explains the gap is field of study at university.
Keywords: gender wage gap; field of study; university graduates; germany
JEL Codes: J16; J31; J71
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Men and women enter college in roughly equal numbers (I24) | Gender differences in educational attainment (I24) |
| Women complete their degrees at higher rates (J16) | Gender differences in educational attainment (I24) |
| Women enter university with slightly better high school grades (I24) | Academic performance during university (D29) |
| Women graduate with slightly lower marks (J16) | Academic performance during university (D29) |
| Gender differences in educational attainment (I24) | Gender gap in full-time earnings (J31) |
| Field of study (Y80) | Gender gap in full-time earnings (J31) |
| Differences in employment rates and hours worked (J29) | Gender gap in full-time earnings (J31) |