Working PaperFirst publicationPublished version DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-2048 Handle: 20.500.14123/10313

Explaining Age and Gender Differences in Employment Rates: A Labor Supply Side Perspective

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Chronological data

Date of first publication2011-08
Date of publication in PubData 2025-08-07

Language of the resource

English

Related external resources

Part of ISSN: 1860-5508
Working Paper Series in Economics

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Abstract

This paper takes a labor supply perspective (neoclassical labor supply, job search) to explain the lower employment rates of older workers and women. The basic rationale is that workers choose non-employed if their reservation wages are larger than the offered wages. Whereas the offered wages depend on workers' productivity and firms' decisions, reservation wages are largely determined by workers' endowments and preferences for leisure. To shed some empirical light on this issue, we use German survey data to analyze age and gender differences in reservation and entry wages, preferred and actual working hours, and satisfaction with leisure and work.

Keywords

Age; Family Gap; Gender; Job Search; Labor Supply; Reservation Wage

Number of the series contribution

214

More information

DDC

330 :: Wirtschaft

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Research