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
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Project Citation:
Öberg, Stefan. Wages of men, women, and others. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-03-17. https://doi.org/10.3886/E223202V1
Project Description
Summary:
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Wages earned by men are often used as an indicator of the material standard of living (MSoL). However, this indicator relies on several assumptions when used for comparisons across time and space. Considering these assumptions will improve estimates of the MSoL from wages.
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.)
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.)
Funding Sources:
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The Swedish Research Council (PI: Christer Lundh) (2015-00961)
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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female wage;
male wage;
female-to-male wage ratio;
family structure;
household composition;
household complexity;
welfare ratios;
subsistence ratios;
cross-country comparisons
Geographic Coverage:
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Europe
Time Period(s):
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1/1/1800 – 12/31/1899 (mid-nineteenth century)
Collection Date(s):
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1/1/2024 – 12/31/2024
Universe:
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Historical households globally
Data Type(s):
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aggregate data;
program source code
Collection Notes:
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The Stata-code can be used to make easier use of the data provided by Burnette, Joyce. LePlay data for EHR. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2024-02-10. https://doi.org/10.3886/E198241V1
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.
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
Data Source:
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Aggregated data from previously published research, Clio-infra.eu, Human Mortality Database, and Historical statistics.
Related Publications
Published Versions
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