Synopsis
Males often get paid more than females for the same work. This male-female pay gap has been observed throughout the world over many years. The most commonly cited explanations focus on gender oppression and workplace discrimination. We agree that discrimination contributes significantly to the pay gap; however, other factors may play important roles in how the sexes compete in the labor market. We use observations from psychology and concepts from biology to show how aspects of mate choice may influence labor markets. With a mathematical model, we analyze how mating preferences for partner wages affect the differences in wages between males and females, and in turn how wage differences affect mating preferences. If some extrinsic force, such as discrimination, creates an initial bias in wages, then coupled feedback between mating preferences and wages creates and maintains excess mating preference and wage biases. This model demonstrates how coupling between labor markets and mating markets can lead to outcomes that do not occur when analyzing either market in isolation from the other.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anonymous. 2003. Highlights of women’s earnings in 2002. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Anker, Richard, & Catherine Hein (1986). Sex inequalities in third world employment: statistical evidence. Pp. 63–115 in R. Ander & C. Hein (ed.) Sex Inequalities in Urban Employment in the Third World. MacMillan Press, London.
Blau, Francine D. (1984). Discrimination against women: theory and evidence. Pp. 53–89 in W. A. Darity, Jr. (ed.) Labor Economics: Modern Views. Kluwer-Nijhoff, Boston.
Blau Francine D., Lawrence M. Kahn. (1997). Wage structure and gender earnings differentials: an international comparison. Economica 63:S29–S62
Buss David M. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 12:1–49
Buss David M. (2003). The evolution of desire: strategies of human mating. Basic Books, New York
Buss, David M., Max Abbott, Alois Angleitner, Armen Asherian, Angela Biaggio, Angel Blanco-Villasenor & et al. 1990. International preferences in selecting mates: a study of 37 cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 21:5–47.
Buss David M., Todd K. Shackelford, Lee A. Kirkpatrick, Randy J. Larsen (2001). A half century of mate preferences: the cultural evolution of values. Journal of Marriage and Family 63:491–503
Caiazza, Amy, April Shaw & Misha Werschkul. 2003. Women’s economic status in the states: Wide disparities by race, ethnicity, and region. Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Washington, D.C.
Cain, Glen G. 1986. Labor market discrimination. Pp. 693–785 in O. Ashenfelter & R. Layard (ed.) Handbook of Labor Economics. Elsevier Science Publishers, London.
DeNavas-Walt, Carmen, Robert Cleveland & Bruce H. Webster, Jr. 2003. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports (Pp. 60–221): Income in the United States: 2002. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Goldin Claudia. (1989). Life-cycle labor force participation of married women: Historical evidence and implications. Journal of Labor Economics 7:20–47
Pawlowski Boguslaw, Robin I. M. Dunbar. (1999). Impact of market value on human mate choice decisions. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 266:281–285
Perusse Daniel. (1994). Mate choice in modern societies: testing evolutionary hypotheses with behavioral data. Human Nature 5:255–278
Psacharopolos George, Zafiris Tzannatos. (1992). Case studies on women’s employment and pay in Latin America. World Bank, Washington, D.C
Reskin Barbara F., Heidi I. Hartmann. (1986). Women at work, men’s work: sex on the job. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Rose Stephen J., Heidi I. Hartmann. (2004). Still a man’s labor market: The long-term earnings gap. Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Frank, S.A., Mckenzie, R.B. The Male-Female Pay Gap Driven by Coupling between Labor Markets and Mating Markets. J Bioecon 8, 269–274 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10818-006-9008-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10818-006-9008-8