The persistent gap: Exploring the earnings differential between recent male and female postsecondary graduates

by Ted Wannell
Business and Labour Market Analysis Division
Analytical Studies Branch research paper series, No. 026

While the participation rate of women in postsecondary education and full-time jobs increased dramatically in recent years, the earnings gap between men and women has narrowed at a slower rate.

The National Graduates Survey (1984) and the subsequent Follow-up of Graduates Survey (1987) provide a unique window on the earnings gap in a very specific cohort of well-educated individuals: 1982 graduates of Canadian universities and community colleges. The earnings differential between male and female graduates is analyzed through both descriptive and multivariate techniques.

The major observations include: men earn more than women in virtually every subgroup of graduates (Ph.D. holders being the one notable exception); the earnings gap tended to widen over time within this cohort; and, differences in the 'wage-generating' characteristics of men and women accounted for, at best, a third of the earnings gap.

The concluding discussion covers three topics: the larger earnings gap among community college graduates, possible refinements to the multivariate model and the difficulty of proving discrimination exists using survey data.

Not available electronically.