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Shocking Offers: Gender, Wage Inequality, and Recessions in Online Labor Markets

Using data from the largest online job portal in Nigeria, the speaker will discuss the (a) gender differences in salary offers for jobs, and (b) the response of (a) to recessions. Jobs in industries where the number of job applicants skews female offer lower starting salaries than jobs in industries where applicants skew male. During Nigeria’s 2016 recession, overall job applications rose, but applications to jobs in industries that skew male increased more than applications to jobs in industries that skew female. Salary offers fell sharply for jobs in male-skewed industries compared to female-skewed industries. In accordance with this relative shift in applications, in 2016, the salary-offer gender gap almost disappeared.

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Using data from the largest online job portal in Nigeria, the speaker will discuss the (a) gender differences in salary offers for jobs, and (b) the response of (a) to recessions. Jobs in industries where the number of job applicants skews female offer lower starting salaries than jobs in industries where applicants skew male. During Nigeria’s 2016 recession, overall job applications rose, but applications to jobs in industries that skew male increased more than applications to jobs in industries that skew female. Salary offers fell sharply for jobs in male-skewed industries compared to female-skewed industries. In accordance with this relative shift in applications, in 2016, the salary-offer gender gap almost disappeared.

ABOUT THE AFRICA ECONOMICS SERIES

The AES are monthly events chaired by Andrew Dabalen, Chief Economist for Africa. The series bring academics, other experts, and policymakers to share their work and thoughts with World bank staff and to discuss implications for policy and the World Bank operations in the Africa region. The events are opened to the public. Please visit the Africa Chief Economist Office’s webpage for more information.

DATE: May 30, 2024

TIME: 12:30 - 2:00 pm

BELINDA ARCHIBONG

PRESENTER

Belinda Archibong is an Associate Professor of Economics at Barnard College. Her research areas include development economics, political economy, economic history and environmental economics with an African regional focus. Her research investigates the role of historical institutions and environment in inequality of access to public services and the development of human capital, particularly in the areas of education, health and labor. Other works study the economics of prisons, the effects of protests on fiscal transfers and gender gaps in political participation, and the drivers of gender gaps in labor markets in African countries. She is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a faculty affiliate at Columbia University's Center for Development Economics and Policy (CDEP), The Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Institute of African Studies, the Institute for Research in African-American Studies, the Columbia Population Research Center (CPRC), and the Center for Environmental Economics and Policy (CEEP). She is currently a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She received a B.A. in Economics/Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development from Columbia University.

ANDREW DABALEN

CHAIR

Africa Region Chief Economist, World Bank

MICHAEL WEBER

DISCUSSANT

Senior Economist, Human Capital Project, Social Protection and Jobs, World Bank

For more information:
Ken Omondi
komondi@worldbank.org

Date: May 30, 2024

Time: 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM ET

Location: Online