08.03.2024

Wage Differences between Women and Men in Austria from 2011 to 2022

WIFO Research Brief on International Women's Day

In 2011, the average wage of women in the public and private sector was 19.6 percent lower than that of men. By 2022, the gap had narrowed to 13.5 percent. The adjusted wage gap also fell during this period, from 7.8 to 6.4 percent.

In a recent WIFO Research Brief, René Böheim, Marian Fink and Christine Zulehner examine the wage gap between women and men in Austria from 2011 to 2022 using data from the microcensus.

Determinants of the pay gap include differences between women and men in characteristics that describe work experience, occupation and sector of activity, as well as vertical segregation. The narrowing of the wage gap can mainly be explained by a convergence of these characteristics. The share of unobservable characteristics that lead to wage differences, such as systematic differences in wage negotiations or the systematic underpayment of women, has also fallen, but to a lesser extent.