Gender inequality across UK labour markets

Nesom, Suzanna 2025. Gender inequality across UK labour markets. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis presents empirical evidence on the magnitude, spatial variation, and drivers of gender inequality across UK labour markets, with a focus on policy implications. Using secure data from the 2022 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, the first empirical Chapter identifies substantial spatial variation in the Gender Pay Gap across areas within Britain. Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions reveal that while spatial differences in the allocation of employees partly explain this variation, most gaps remain unexplained, varying on the basis of local labour market characteristics, including industrial composition and unemployment rates. The second empirical Chapter explores the Gender Gap in Commuting using pooled data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for 2022-2023. A Two-Stage Least Squares regression with an instrumental variable approach, alongside an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, estimates that gender differences in commute time account for 10.1% of the raw Gender Pay Gap, highlighting the importance of spatial constraints and non-wage amenities in shaping gender gaps, even amidst increased home and hybrid working. The third empirical Chapter provides the first quantitative evaluation of the Childcare Offer for Wales on parental labour market outcomes using secure data from the Annual Population Survey. A Sharp Regression Discontinuity Design and Difference-in-Differences approach find no significant impact on parental employment rates or hours worked, offering timely insights as England expands childcare subsidies and concerns grow over the financial sustainability of devolved provision. The thesis makes three contributions. First, it documents the scale of intra-regional and -local variation in the Gender Pay Gap and the role of local labour market characteristics. Second, it provides contemporary evidence on commuting patterns, showing how spatial factors shape gender disparities in wages. Third, it delivers the first quantitative evaluation of the Childcare Offer for Wales, addressing a policy-relevant evidence gap. Overall, the thesis emphasises the value of spatial analysis for understanding gender inequality and the need for improved data to evaluate policies, particularly in devolved contexts where data constraints present challenges.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 September 2025
Last Modified:	05 Sep 2025 16:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180943

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