The gender wage gap across the wage distribution: Evidence in tourism at the sectoral level

Abstract

We conducted a comparative study of the main determinants of the gender wage gap across the wage distribution in the tourism sector from a sectoral perspective. Using matched employer-employee data from Spain, we propose different wage decompositions across the wage distribution based on unconditional quantile regressions. In feminised sectors, such as hospitality and travel agencies, the gender wage gap follows an increasing trend across the wage distribution, whereas in masculinised sectors, such as transportation, the gap follows a decreasing trend, becoming non-significant at the highest wage levels. Except in the case of transportation, gender wage discrimination increases as wages increase and is the component that explains the major part of this gap. The results show that there are differential barriers to the promotion of women at a sectoral level that perpetuate gender roles, particularly in positions of high responsibility.