The Gender Pay Gap

Words: 1026
Pages: 5

Why is there still a gender pay gap in the German and European economies?

Mirjam Freese
Matrikel Nr. 507011
WS 2015/16

Business Organisation, Company and Work
Seen from the Perspective of History and the Social Sciences

Module Nr. 200.591.01
Prof. Dr. José M. Magone

Contents

1. Introduction 3
2. Main causes of the gender pay gap 4
3. Consequences 5
4. Benefits of closing the gap 5
5. Current Situation 5
6. Conclusion 5
Bibliography 6

1. Introduction

The existence of the gender pay gap in the workplace is a highly debated topic in today’s society.
What is the gender pay gap?
The gender pay gap is an important element in analysing the progress in equal pay as it measures the percentage difference in average gross hourly earnings
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The literature describes two distinct forms of human capital. General human capital refers to general skills and education which are needed for many employers at different sectors whereas firm specific human capital describes on-the-job training and training on more specific individual skills that ideally lead to become more successful performing the job. It is assumed that the more an individual invests in human capital the higher are the …show more content…
Women tend to be overrepresented in sectors such as teaching or sales that offer lower wages than jobs predominantly carried out by men
Pay discrimination, while illegal, continues to contribute to the gender pay gap.
The effect of the gender pay gap goes beyond working life, as it affects a person's lifetime, and leads to women having less money to save and to invest. The 'gender pension gap' shows that on average across the EU, women’s pensions are 39% lower than men’s.
An increasing
What are the main causes of the gender pay gap?

Direct gender discrimination
Direct gender discrimination occurs when people who have the same level of education attainment and work experience are treated differently because of their gender
3. Consequences

The impact of the gender pay gap means that women earn less over their entire lifetimes which results in lower pensions and a higher risk of poverty with a growing age.

4. Benefits of closing the gap

Greater equality between men and women would bring benefits to the economy and to society in general. Closing the gender pay gap can help to reduce levels of poverty and increase women’s earnings during their lifetimes. It avoids the risk of women falling into poverty durig their working lives, but also reduces the danger of poverty in