"COERCIVE COOPERATION"? ONTARIO'S PAY EQUITY ACT OF 1988 AND THE GENDER PAY GAP. (19th November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McDonald, Judith A.; Thornton, Robert J.
• Is Part Of: Contemporary economic policy. Volume 33:Number 4(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 606
• Page End: 618
• Publication Date: 2014-11-19
• Subjects: Economic policy -- Periodicals; United States -- Economic policy -- 1993-2001 -- Periodicals; United States -- Economic policy -- 2001- -- Periodicals; 338.9005
• DOI: 10.1111/coep.12094
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1074-3529

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="coep12094-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p id="coep12094-para-0001"> <italic>Evaluating the effect of pay‐equity laws is important and yet difficult as one needs to deduce what would have occurred without the policy intervention. We use a new tool, synthetic‐control method, to examine the effects of Ontario's Pay Equity Act on the gender pay gap. This tool enables us to create a "Synthetic" Ontario, which resembles Ontario more closely than does any other single province. Using Synthetic Ontario to compare what actually happened in Ontario to what would have happened, we find that the act has had little or no effect on the female‐male wage gap in Ontario</italic>. (<italic>JEL</italic> J7, J3)</p> </abstract>