Spatial mobility and the gender pay gap within German families

Tim Schröder, University of Bremen

In international comparison, the gender pay gap in Germany is exceptionally large and persistent since the mid-1990’s. Despite a vast literature on this topic, the impact of internal spatial mobility attracts comparatively little attention. Especially for Germany evidence is rather scarce. The contribution therefore aims at closing this research gap and adds to the existing literature in two ways: At first, the distinct and likewise interrelated effects of two forms of spatial mobility, long-distance migration and commuting, on individual wages of men and women as well as the gender wage gap within families are assessed. Secondly, the mediating influence of the family and work history on gender differences in pay through spatial mobility is taken into account. Theoretically derived hypotheses are tested on basis of the German Family Panel pairfam (“Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics”).