Effects of sexual preferences on earnings in the Netherlands

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in Effects of Sexual Preferences on Earnings in the NetherlandsErik Plug Peter Berkhout The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent, nonprofit limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) supported by the Deutsche Post AG. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. The current research program deals with (1) mobility and flexibility of labor markets, (2) internationalization of labor markets and European integration, (3) the welfare state and labor markets, (4) labor markets in transition, (5) the future of work, (6) project evaluation and (7) general labor economics. D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E SIZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. ABSTRACT Effects of Sexual Preferences on Earnings in the Netherlands * * * *A small literature suggests that bisexual and homosexual workers earn less than their heterosexual fellow workers and that a discriminating labor market is partly to blame. In this paper we examine whether sexual preferences affect earnings in the beginning of working careers in the Netherlands. We find (i) that young and highly educated gay male workers earn about 3 percent less than heterosexual men; (ii) that similarly qualified lesbian workers earn about 4 percent more than their heterosexual female coworkers; (iii) that in terms of earnings, bisexual workers are more comparable to heterosexual workers; and (iv) that among homosexual workers the gender gap is not observed. From this we conclude that the Dutch labor market does not discriminate on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender in entry level jobs.

Men's sexual orientation and job satisfaction

“…Indeed, Clark (1997), Souza-Poza and Souza-Poza (2003), Gazioglu and Tansel (2006) and Drydakis (2012a) estimate women to be more satisfied with their work than men, 2 In the United States, Black et al (2003) employed the General Social Survey data from 1989-1996 and found earnings to be between 14% and 16% lower for behaviourally (defined in various ways depending on the presence of a same-sex partner) gay men than for heterosexuals. Studies of self-reported gay men in the Netherlands between 1998 and 2002 found that such men earned approximately 4% less than heterosexuals (Plug and Berkhout, 2004). In the United Kingdom, Arabsheibani et al (2005), using data from the Labour Force Survey between 2001 and 2005, found that gay men, identified as individuals living with same sex partners, earned about 5% less than heterosexuals.…”

Is there a ‘marriage premium’ for gay men?

“…He concludes that earlier findings of lower earnings among gay men may be due to pooling men who are behaviorally gay and behaviorally bisexual. Other potential explanations for the difference in 6 There is a smaller literature on heterosexual-gay earnings differences in other countries, including Plug and Berkhout's (2004) study of the Netherlands and Carpenter's (2007b) study of Canada. 7 Arabsheibani, Marin, and Wadsworth (2005) find that cohabiting gay men are paid less than cohabiting heterosexual men with the same characteristics in the U.K. and interpret this result as due at least in part to discrimination.…”

Subjective Well-Being and Partnership Dynamics: Are Same-Sex Relationships Different?

“…Answers could be in five categories: one only to men; two especially to men, but to some extent also to women; three as much to men as to women; four especially to women, but to some extent also to men; five only to women. This measure was employed by Berkhout (2004), andBuser et al (2015). The second measure of sexual orientation is through sexual activity.…”