Evolución de las diferencias salariales por sexo En seis países de América Latina un intento de interpretación

This document investigates the evolution of some of the most important differences between men and women in the labour market of six Latin American countries in terms of participation, unemployment, work opportunities and earnings during the last two decades of the twentieth century. It finds that women’s situation in the labour market has evolved with mixed results. On the one hand, gross hourly earnings differentials by sex had diminished in a significant manner, and on the other, women’s access to employment (either in terms of jobs, or hours of work) has diminished relative to men. Although an important degree of market segmentation (either in terms of sectors of economic activity or occupations) is observed, that segmentation does not seem to be responsible for the hourly earnings differences observed. Rather, the differences in earning between men and women seem to be associated with within-sector or within-occupation labour remuneration patterns.