05.03.2026

Wage Differences between Women and Men in Austria from 2011 to 2024

WIFO Research Brief in the Run-up to International Women's Day

In a recent WIFO Research Brief, René Böheim, Marian Fink and Christine Zulehner use microcensus data to analyse how the gender wage gap among employees has evolved in Austria. The unadjusted difference in average gross hourly earnings among 20- to 59-year-olds declined markedly, from 19.6 percent in 2011 to 12.6 percent in 2024. The adjusted gap, accounting for differences in education, labour-market experience, and both horizontal and vertical segregation, narrowed between 2011 and 2012 and then remained broadly stable at around 6.4 percent over the period 2012-2024.

A more detailed analysis indicates that the reduction in both the explained and unexplained components is driven primarily by convergence in observable characteristics. The decline in the unadjusted as well as the adjusted gap is concentrated among 20- to 39-year-olds, whereas for workers aged 40 and above the reduction is substantially weaker.