The gender gap in the business elite

Stability and change in characteristics of Swedish top wage earners in large private companies, 1993–2007

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2301014
AutoresErik Bihagen (0000-0001-8800-9867, Stockholm University), Magnus Nermo (Stockholm University, autor de correspondencia), Charlotta Stern (0000-0003-0820-4852, Stockholm University)
Año2014
Volumen57
Número2
Páginas119-133
Fecha de publicación2014-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaActa Sociologica (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0001-6993 • E-ISSN: 1502-3869
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0001699313495422
OpenAlexW2147656721
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas41

Using unique Swedish register data on all employees in large private companies, we study trends in the gender composition of top wage employees from 1993 to 2007. The analyses reveal that the likelihood of women holding top wage positions has more than doubled since the early 1990s, but men are still markedly over-represented in this group of employees. We focus on educational choices, considering level and field of study as well as university attended. One important conclusion is that, although education is important in reaching a top wage position, field of education and university attended only marginally explain the gender gap. However, relative to other women, having a career signalling degree (i.e. economics, law or engineering) from a more prestigious university helps women. Dividing the sample into different cohorts indicates that the gender gap is partly a cohort effect, i.e. it is smaller among those born in the 1960s compared to cohorts born in the 1940s and 1950s. It should be noted that there is still a gender gap among employees born in the 1960s and that the gap widens after age 30. Future studies should focus more deeply on this family-related 'period of divergence

Cohort · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Elite · Gender gap · Higher education · Labour economics · Political science · Position (finance · Sociology · Wage · Demography · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Law · Medicine · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics