ANALYSIS OF WAGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN IN SLOVAKIA. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF MOTHERHOOD?

PAULA GAŠPERCOVÁ - PETER TÓTH

https://doi.org/10.53465/ER.2644-7185.2025.3.177-195

Abstract: This paper analyses the gender pay gap in Slovakia, with an emphasis on the impact of motherhood, using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. The results indicate that the gender wage gap is 16.8%, while the gap between mothers and the rest of the workforce is even higher (18.3%). A significant share of this inequality remains unexplained, suggesting the influence of unobserved factors such as differences in men's and women's decisions, bargaining power, or systemic biases and discrimination. The penalties associated with motherhood are most pronounced in women’s 30s and 40s, particularly for those with children under three. In contrast, the difference between mothers and childless women is at 9.9% and is almost entirely explained by observed factors. These findings highlight the need for systemic changes in the working environment to facilitate better career integration and fairer pay for mothers.

Keywords: gender pay gap, motherhood, Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, labour market

JEL Classification: J16, J13, J31

Fulltext: PDF

Online publication date: 25 September 2025

To cite this article (APA style):

Gašpercová, P., Tóth, P. (2025). Analysis of wage differences bet. Economic Review, 54(3), 177 ─ 195. https://doi.org/10.53465/ER.2644-7185.2025.3.177-195

Publisher: Bratislava University of Economics and Business | EUBA

ISSN 2644-7185 (online)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.