<p>
I had to think about it, but I do know one couple (childless) where he’s basically a “househusband” and she is a medical doctor. He does all kinds of stuff cooking, growing food, etc. and she brings home the money. It works for them - hey, admit it - couldn’t we all use a househusband ;)?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The optimal choice between taking the first offer versus holding out for something with higher pay (or otherwise better) does depend on the labor market conditions at the time. Holding out for something better is the riskier tactic, but may be worth the risk in a favorable labor market. However, in times of high unemployment, it could more easily lead to longer term unemployment.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Couples in this position may well optimize for the partner who has higher pay prospects, due to the greater amount of money at stake; if the male partner tends to have higher pay prospects due to choice of major more often, then that can result in the female partner more often being in a less optimal labor market for the type of jobs she is looking for.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I would expect that a couple consisting of a female computer scientist and a male biologist would optimize for the female computer scientist’s job prospects rather than the male biologist’s job prospects.</p>
<p>Didn’t the gap used to be 66%? We are making progress!! Yes, the disparity makes my blood boil as well. Keep pushing onward and upward! </p>
<p>I’ve read that the reason for starting salary disparities is due to the fact that men negotiate their starting salaries while women accept their given starting salaries. Then the disparity gap continues to widen as each new jump in salary is negotiated by men vs accepted by women.</p>
<p>Lastly, I read about a group at an academic (or government? can’t remember) institution that was putting together a study on how to equalize the pay disparity by gender, and the team of men and women discovered that the team itself had a pay disparity by gender!</p>
<p>General personality differences do play a role in the disparity of salaries and upward mobility:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Columbia</a> Ideas at Work : Feature : Confidence+Game](<a href=“http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/ideasatwork/feature/7224716/Confidence+Game]Columbia”>http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/ideasatwork/feature/7224716/Confidence+Game)</p>
<p>Also, those that suggest men simply are more likely to embellish their compensation level in studies with self-reported data are on to something:</p>
<p>[Why</a> Men Lie Up and Women Lie Down | Psychology Today](<a href=“http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201105/why-men-lie-and-women-lie-down]Why”>Why Men Lie Up and Women Lie Down | Psychology Today)</p>
<p>If I read the survey correctly these are kids after one year out of college, at that stage in your career - family issues, moving for a spouse, etc. would not be in play yet. These are kids (remember they don’t even get married nowadays until they are close to 30). Also, after one year how many pay increases would you even have an opportunity to be eligible for (especially in this economy). So, I am hoping the difference is based upon the variation in the actual field within these categories that women/men go into (maybe the women go into different types of engineering then the men?)</p>
<p>I suspect there’s some truth in the idea that women don’t aggressively negotiate for higher pay as much as men do–and I also suspect that HR people know this, and exploit it. It’s not the women’s “fault,” exactly, but they are the ones who will have to change to address this particular issue.</p>
<p>^You’re assuming “kids after one year out of college” are all 23 years old. Many people don’t get their degrees until somewhat later in life ([Average</a> Student Age on the Rise | Online Education Blog](<a href=“http://blog.edvisors.com/online-education/the-average-age-of-students-is-on-the-upswing/]Average”>http://blog.edvisors.com/online-education/the-average-age-of-students-is-on-the-upswing/)). Unless they culled the results and limited them to 23-year-olds, you can’t make any assumption that family issues aren’t in play yet. I have at least 3 married students, 2 of whom are parents, and another one who’s engaged, in the class of 23 I am currently teaching.</p>
<p>I think plenty of college graduates are in relationships that make them want to settle in the same city. I think cultural programming is strong enough that is still much more likely for the woman to follow the man than the reverse.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Already mentioned. See Post #7.</p>
<p>Question -</p>
<p>If the subject of this thread was, instead:</p>
<p>Female grads earn $38 less per week than men</p>
<p>Would there be such a fuss?</p>
<p>Because that’s what we’re talking about here.</p>
<p>First, there’s no “fuss.” Such a fuss.</p>
<p>The issue, for women, and we know this, as women who have been in the workforce for quite some time, is not the $38, but how that translates over the course of time, and what it “means,” Long term. acting as if this is a no big deal question is rather disengenious and calling it a “fuss” is an interesting and revealing perspective.</p>
<p>At the level of 100,000, the difference is significant. That is what we are talking about and we all know it starts with $38 per week, which also translates to nearly 2,000 a year. When one is starting out, 2,000 a year is not a small deal.</p>
<p>My D will be graduating soon. That $38/week will make a big difference in her food budget.</p>
<p>
It wouldn’t surprise me if 23-year-old men spend that much more on food (and beer) than women do.</p>
<p>I think there may be some demographic reasons for this difference that don’t stem from discrimination, but I think discrimination probably explains part of it too. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that some culturally programmed attitudes about sex roles explain much of the difference.</p>
<p>What is the margin of error in the measurement?</p>
<p>A lot more than $38. You have a survey and then a regression. Many chances for unknown errors to crop in.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Even in an unfavorable job market, accepting a job that doesn’t pay enough, after student loan payments, to live independently may not be worth it. For the recent graduate living at home or with 4 roommates, a part-time job or freelance opportunities may be enough for the moment. It could be better to have the free time available to continue to seek a long-term solution rather than settle for a situation that locks in the status quo for years. </p>
<p>Males may be more likely to weigh such considerations because living at home or in a barracks-type situation makes them look like “losers” in the dating market.</p>
<p>I am very happy being part of a union, in a male dominated career field. My pay and advancement go up when people in front of me die or retire (hopefully retire). Now, I’d guess that overall the few women in my profession end up making less than the men, but that would be purely by choice, that they choose to work less or progress slower due to family considerations and not wanting to travel so much.</p>
<p>There are some benefits to being purely a number.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>However, in an unfavorable job market, the risk of becoming long term unemployed is higher. Long term unemployment tends to make the person less employable (employers tend to think “something must be wrong, since no one else hired him/her”).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m not sure the Gloria Stuarts of the world would accept that men need to be paid more because we drink more beer.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I was not aware that salaries were determined by how much a person spends.</p>