School starting age and the gender pay gap over the life cycle

Kamila Cygan-Rehm and Matthias Westphal

No 1115, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: This paper replicates and extends the evidence on the lifetime effects of school starting age on earnings by Fredriksson and Öckert (2014) for Sweden. Using German data for individuals born between 1945 and 1965, we examine a more rigid system of ability tracking in secondary education, a potential driver of longterm effects. We confirm negligible effects of later school entry for men and positive effects for women. These gender differences arise despite similar effects on educational attainment. By unfolding the gender gaps over the lifecycle and assessing fertility directly, delaying motherhood seems a plausible mechanism behind the results.

Keywords: School starting age; lifetime effects; education; gender gaps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I24 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gen
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:308808

DOI: 10.4419/96973293

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