Sexual orientation and fulltime monthly earnings

Authors: Ali Ahmed Lina Andersson Mats Hammarstedt

Publish Date: 2012/09/04

Volume: 11, Issue: 1, Pages: 83-108

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Abstract

In this paper we explore annual earnings as well as fulltime monthly earnings differentials resulting from sexual orientation We observe that gay males are at an earnings disadvantage compared to male heterosexuals regardless of which earnings measure we use This earnings disadvantage is found to be larger when we compare gay and heterosexual males who are working fulltime In addition the disadvantage is larger in the private than in the public sector Lesbians however earn more than heterosexual females This earnings advantage is considerably smaller when we study fulltime monthly rather than annual earnings but an earnings advantage for lesbians at the top of the earnings distribution is documented regardless of which earnings measure we use In addition lesbians are doing better than female heterosexuals in the public sector To sum up the results indicate that gay males face obstacles on the labor market that hinder them from reaching toplevel positions and high earnings The earnings advantage observed for lesbians is likely to stem from the fact that lesbians devote more time to market work than heterosexual females doThe authors are grateful for comments from three anonymous referees as well as from the editor Further the authors are also grateful for comments from seminar participants at the Linnaeus University Centre for Labour Market and Discrimination Studies and from participants at the workshop Sexual orientation discrimination in the labor market in Paris 2012

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