Gender Wage Gap in Early Careers: Evidence From University Graduates in China

Yue Zhang and Yanyan Dong

Review of Development Economics, 2025, vol. 29, issue 3, 1677-1692

Abstract: This study analyzes the gender wage gap (GWG) among early‐career graduates from an elite university specializing in finance and economics disciplines. Despite female students performing better academically, the GWG for first jobs is about 21.4%, increasing to 30.0% after 3–5 years. At the major level, significant gaps are found in Finance, Management, and Accounting, while gaps in Economics and Business are minimal. At the educational level, GWG among graduates is relatively smaller. Decomposition analysis reveals female graduates' advantages in observed characteristics act to reduce the GWG by 55.7% and 29.4% in starting wages and current wages, respectively, with more males entering the finance industry. Females with graduate degrees in mega‐cities experience a reduced GWG compared to similarly qualified males.

Date: 2025
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