Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/295777 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16754
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This study tests whether personality traits are legitimately rewarded in the labour market or whether there are differing rewards across gender that cannot be explained with productivity. We investigate if personality traits affect the likelihood of making it to the top income quintile within an occupation differently by gender using UK Household Longitudinal data. We find that being agreeable hurts men more than women across a majority of occupations, which points at the role of gender norms for wages. Further, female legislators and senior officials who are conscientious, extraverted, neurotic and open are more likely to be among the top earners than men. Other than that, we find small gender differences in personality rewards.
Subjects: 
personality traits
agreeableness
Big Five
labor market
earnings
gender wage gap
JEL: 
J16
J24
J31
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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