FEMALE LABOR FORCE IN THE BRAZILIAN LABOR MARKET: WAGE DISCRIMINATION BY GENDER

Abstract

For decades women have suffered with gender discrimination in the labor market, preventing them from fully exercising their role as citizens beyond the family environment and harming its evolution and rise in the world of labor. From the twentieth century, however, they began to gain traction in this market, assuming a new profile as generating family income. From this perspective, this study aims to analyze the participation of women in the labor market and wage differentials by gender in Brazil, from the PNAD, IBGE, 2002 and 2011. From this perspective, this study aims to analyze the participation of women in the labor market and wage differentials by gender in Brazil, from the PNAD, IBGE, 2002 and 2011. Methodological procedure consisted in estimating the equation wage (Mincer 1974), applying the correction of selection bias in the sample (HECKMAN, 1979) and Oaxaca decompose model (OAXACA, 1973). The results show that although women are more educated than men there are wage differentials which are independent of the production factors, signal discrimination in the Brazilian labor market, both in 2002 and in 2011. Two aspects can be highlighted, one negative and another positive in this period: there was an increase in gender discrimination, however the increased participation of women in the labor market.