The Gender Wage Gap in the Tourism Industry: Evidence from Australia

Abstract

This article presents an examination of the gender wage gap among tourism and hospitality employees in Australia. Data from the household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (hILDA) Survey—covering the period 2001 to 2014—are used to estimate earnings functions for prime age (25–54) male and female workers. Conventional human capital functions are estimated using a random-effects regression model. The principal findings suggest that, after controlling for an extensive range of sociodemographic characteristics, female tourism and hospitality employees, on average, earned 8.5% and 7.5%, respectively, less than their male counterparts. Although human capital variables like education and work experience play a role in the determination of wages, an employee's gender still continues to be a significant factor in the wage received.