Meta-analysis of the Gender Pay Gap in Russia

Abstract

The paper summarizes the estimates of the gender wage gap in the Russian labour market from 1996 to 2021 based on a meta-analysis. Parenthood is the most important factor that impacts the variation in the unexplained portion of the gap. Ignoring parenthood leads to a significant underestimation of the gender wage gap. In contrast, lack of controls for industry and profession leads to an overestimation of the unexplained portion of the gap. The explanatory power of the traditional factors, such as human capital or job characteristics, tends to decline over time. Including personality traits of men and women into analysis reduces the unexplained portion of the gap. Our analysis contradicts the hypothesis of the gender bias among researchers. Moreover, measure of pay is a major determinant of the gap, which is higher for monthly than for hourly wages. We found no significant differences in the gender gap estimates obtained with various assessment methods or data bases. Finally, Heckman's correction for self-selection does not affect the estimates of gender inequality.