Occupational Attainment and Gender Earnings Differentials in Mexico
Author(s)
Brown, Cynthia J.; Pagan, Jose A.; Rodriguiz-Oreggia, Eduardo
Abstract
Women earned about 20.8% less than men in Mexico in 1987, a difference that increased to 22.0% by 1993. Using 1987-93 data from Mexico’s National Urban Employment Survey, the authors find that more than 100% of that increase is explainable by relative changes in human capital endowments; wage coefficient changes, in themselves, would have slightly reduced the gap. The increasing male-female earnings differential was tempered by a substantial decline in gender differences in occupational attainment. Most of the gender earnings differences in both years can be explained by differences in rewards to individual endowments rather than gender differences in endowments.
