A newer version of this project is available. See below for other available versions.
Wages of men, women, and others
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Stefan Öberg, Lund University
Version: View help for Version V1
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
text/plain | 16.8 KB | 03/17/2025 03:47:AM |
|
|
application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet | 6.1 MB | 03/17/2025 05:46:AM |
Project Citation:
Project Description
One necessary assumption is that households in the compared populations relied on the primary income of the male head of household to a comparable degree. I demonstrate that the degree of reliance on the male income was closely associated with the complexity of households within the population. Nuclear households—typical of English-speaking countries—were more reliant on the male income than more complex households found elsewhere. Consequently, estimates based on male wages are less accurate for populations with complex households, likely underestimating their MSoL.
While the complexity of households in historical populations is seldom known, it can be predicted using demographic and economic indicators. I conclude that populations at similar stages of industrialization and the demographic transition are the most comparable when using male wages to estimate their MSoL.
Further, I use a reductive model to show that a household’s MSoL is determined by three factors: time spent on productive work, the market wage for men, and the female/male wage ratio. My analysis shows that including the female/male wage ratio does not change the ranking of the MSoL based on male wages. Nonetheless, I argue that there are compelling reasons to expect the wage ratio to be a useful addition when comparing the MSoL of historical populations.
(Abstract of the associated article.)
Scope of Project
The aggregated data includes 51 estimates of the female/male wage ratio for 13 European countries from the mid-nineteenth century. The data also includes economic and demographic indicators based on the LePlay data as well as data taken from other repositories.
Methodology
Related Publications
Published Versions
Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.
This material is distributed exactly as received from the data depositor. As of April 2026, depositors are required to submit study materials in accessible formats. ICPSR has not reviewed, checked, or processed this material. For additional information about the study, please contact the investigator(s) directly. If you have questions about the accessibility of materials distributed by ICPSR or require further assistance, please visit ICPSR's Accessibility Center.