A substantial and persistent earnings gap exists between male and female employees in Britain. Despite this gap, British women typically report higher levels of job satisfaction than men. We consider this apparent contradiction by asking whether the higher job satisfaction reported by female employees is associated with their being less concerned by the level of co-worker wages. We explore the relationship between reported job satisfaction and own, relative and comparison-group wage; allowing for asymmetry in responses across genders. We find that choice of relevant comparison group is affected by gender; men display behaviour characteristic of competitiveness while women do not."> A substantial and persistent earnings gap exists between male and female employees in Britain. Despite this gap, British women typically report higher levels of job satisfaction than men. We consider this apparent contradiction by asking whether the higher job satisfaction reported by female employees is associated with their being less concerned by the level of co-worker wages. We explore the relationship between reported job satisfaction and own, relative and comparison-group wage; allowing for asymmetry in responses across genders. We find that choice of relevant comparison group is affected by gender; men display behaviour characteristic of competitiveness while women do not."> A substantial and persistent earnings gap exists between male and female employees in Britain. Despite this gap, British women typically report higher levels of job satisfactio">
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Peer Salaries and Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

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  • Karen Mumford
  • Peter N. Smith
Abstract
type="main"> A substantial and persistent earnings gap exists between male and female employees in Britain. Despite this gap, British women typically report higher levels of job satisfaction than men. We consider this apparent contradiction by asking whether the higher job satisfaction reported by female employees is associated with their being less concerned by the level of co-worker wages. We explore the relationship between reported job satisfaction and own, relative and comparison-group wage; allowing for asymmetry in responses across genders. We find that choice of relevant comparison group is affected by gender; men display behaviour characteristic of competitiveness while women do not.

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  • Karen Mumford & Peter N. Smith, 2015. "Peer Salaries and Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction in the Workplace," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(3), pages 307-313, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:manchs:v:83:y:2015:i:3:p:307-313
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    1. Keith A. Bender & Susan M. Donohue & John S. Heywood, 2005. "Job satisfaction and gender segregation," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 57(3), pages 479-496, July.
    2. Guy Mayraz & Jürgen Schupp & Gert G. Wagner, 2009. "Life Satisfaction and Relative Income: Perceptions and Evidence," CEP Discussion Papers dp0938, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. AndrewE. Clark & Claudia Senik, 2010. "Who Compares to Whom? The Anatomy of Income Comparisons in Europe," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(544), pages 573-594, May.
    4. Andrew E. Clark, 1998. "Measures of Job Satisfaction: What Makes a Good Job? Evidence from OECD Countries," OECD Labour Market and Social Policy Occasional Papers 34, OECD Publishing.
    5. David Card & Alexandre Mas & Enrico Moretti & Emmanuel Saez, 2012. "Inequality at Work: The Effect of Peer Salaries on Job Satisfaction," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2981-3003, October.
    6. Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell & Paul Frijters, 2004. "How Important is Methodology for the estimates of the determinants of Happiness?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(497), pages 641-659, July.
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    8. AndrewE. Clark & Nicolai Kristensen & Niels Westergård-Nielsen, 2009. "Job Satisfaction and Co-worker Wages: Status or Signal?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(536), pages 430-447, March.
    9. Easterlin, Richard A., 1995. "Will raising the incomes of all increase the happiness of all?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 35-47, June.
    10. Mary B. Hampton & John S. Heywood, 1993. "Do Workers Accurately Perceive Gender Wage Discrimination?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 47(1), pages 36-49, October.
    11. repec:adr:anecst:y:2001:i:63-64:p:03 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Daniel J. Zizzo & Andrew J. Oswald, 2001. "Are People Willing to Pay to Reduce Others'Incomes?," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 63-64, pages 39-65.
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    14. Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Ada, 2005. "Income and well-being: an empirical analysis of the comparison income effect," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(5-6), pages 997-1019, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood & Parvinder Kler & Gareth Leeves, 2018. "Paradox Lost: The Disappearing Female Job Satisfaction Premium," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(3), pages 484-502, September.
    2. Karen Mumford & Cristina Sechel, 2017. "Pay, Rank and Job Satisfaction amongst Academic Economists in the UK," Discussion Papers 17/17, Department of Economics, University of York.
    3. Colin Peter Green & John Spencer Heywood & Parvinder Kler & Gareth Leeves, 2016. "Paradox lost," Working Papers 107134075, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.

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