"Do Menstrual Problems Explain Gender Gaps in Absenteeism and Earnings? Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey"
Working Paper,
April
2013
Publication type: Working paper
Research Archive Topic: Business Economics and Public Policy, Corporate Finance
Abstract
The health effects of menstruation are a controversial explanation for gender gaps in absenteeism and earnings. This paper provides the first evidence on this issue using data that combines labor market outcomes with information on health. We find that menstrual problems could account for some of the gender gap in illness-related absences, but menstrual problems are associated with other negative health conditions, suggesting our estimates may overstate causal effects. Nevertheless, menstrual problems explain very little of the gender gap in earnings.
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