It’s all About the Meaning: Work Meaning, Job Flexibility, and the Gender Wage Gap

Thimo De Schouwer and Iris Kesternich

No 746833, Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven from KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven

Abstract: Gender differences in preferences for job amenities are an important determinant of the gen der wage gap. We examine levels and wage tradeoffs for workplace flexibility and work meaning using data collected through a Dutch household panel. We find that women value work meaning and flexibility higher, but men work more flexible jobs. We explain this anomaly by showing that meaningful jobs are less flexible because they require more interpersonal interaction. Con sidering work meaning as non-monetary compensation halves the wage gap over the entire wage distribution. Accounting for differences in flexibility only affects the gap between low- and high earners.

Pages: 34
Date: 2022-07
Note: paper number DPS 22.04
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Forthcoming in FEB Research Report Department of Economics

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