Decomposing the gender wage gap in the hospitality industry: A quantile approach

This paper analyses the factors that determine the gender wage differences in the Spanish hospitality industry across the wage distribution. In general, previous studies have analysed the gender wage gap from a global perspective, without taking into account the existing heterogeneity across the wage distribution. Using matched employer-employee data from a sample of 4991 workers, we propose different wage decompositions based on quantile regressions under the assumption of equal and different returns. Our results show that the wage advantage for men presents a positive trend through wage distribution, particularly in the higher wage group. Furthermore, a high degree of gender wage discrimination exists in the sector, although this decreases across the wage distribution. Differences in returns of human capital and vertical segregation are the main causes of the discriminatory component. These results, together with disparities in internal promotion patterns between genders, reinforce evidence for the existence of the 'glass ceiling'.