The wage gap between men and women appears as early as the first year after graduation from post-secondary education, only to widen thereafter, a study by the Institut du Québec (IDQ) reveals.
The study, by authors Emna Braham and Annie Pan, analyzed the earnings of men and women after graduating from college or university one year and five years later.
To avoid comparing disparate occupations or situations, the authors controlled variables such as the number of hours worked, field of study, industry and number of children.
"We are really comparing men and women who have the same degree, who have studied the same thing, who work in the same industry. The income gaps we see take all these elements into account," Braham said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
One year after graduation, the wage gap for women among full-time workers with similar backgrounds was nine per cent.
Specifically, it was four per cent among the lowest paid and 13 per cent among the highest paid.
Similarly, five years after graduating from post-secondary education, the earnings gap for women was 16 per cent -- 12 per cent for the lowest paid and 19 per cent for the highest paid.
WHY THE WAGE GAP?
Family responsibilities don't explain everything, the authors stress.
"The most qualified women in Quebec not only receive lower employment income than their male colleagues from the moment they enter the labour market, but also long before they start a family," they note.
Braham suggests other hypotheses, such as "women tend to negotiate their wages less than their male colleagues."
Also, women are "less likely to work for employers who pay the best in Quebec," preferring companies that offer other advantageous working conditions, such as better work-life balance.
So what can be done to close the gaps that still exist?
The Pay Equity Act has played a role in re-evaluating jobs and closing pay gaps, but more needs to be done, argues Braham.
She recommends several measures to encourage the better sharing of family tasks, such as allowing fathers to take more parental leave.
She also suggests that corporate human resources departments develop career coaching programs to ensure women move up the ladder to better-paid positions.
Regarding educational institutions, she recommends reducing gaps in programs like information technology and mathematics -- skills valued in the labour market, which men tend to develop throughout their careers.
The IDQ is an autonomous, non-profit organization governed by an independent board of directors.
The institute was founded in 2014 by HEC Montréal and the Conference Board of Canada.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 9, 2022.
