AAEA members new research in the open access JAAEA
MILWAUKEE, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- According to new research older workers in high-paying jobs, rural women earn approximately $20,000 less annually than their rural male counterparts. Over a 10-year period, this gap can accumulate to nearly a quarter million dollars (with 2% annual compound interest rate), contributing significantly to long-term wealth disparities between genders.
In the newly published article "Unpacking the Gender Wage Gap in the U.S.: The Impact of Rural Employment, Age, and Occupation" in the Journal of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Ayoung Kim from Mississippi State University and Brigitte Waldorf retired from Purdue University explore how the gender wage gap in the U.S. is shaped by rural employment, types of occupations, and workers' career stages.
The authors say, "We found that women working in rural areas face larger wage penalties than men even after controlling for cost-of-living differences. The gender wage gap also exists across all locations and age groups, but it is more pronounced in rural settings. Two key findings stand out: 1) Among older workers in high-paying jobs, rural women earn significantly less than rural men. This may be due to limited access to care services (for instance, childcare and eldercare) in rural areas, which disproportionately burdens women and can lead to career disruptions over time. 2) Among younger workers in low-paying jobs, rural women also experience greater wage disparities, potentially reflecting early career disadvantages that compound over time. These findings point to a layered disadvantage for rural women, shaped by both where they live and their career stage."
If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Allison Ware in the AAEA Business Office.
ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes three journals, the Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (an open access journal), the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices and the online open access publication series Applied Economics Teaching Resources. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org.
Media Contact
Allison Ware, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, 414-918-3190, [email protected], www.aaea.org
SOURCE Agricultural & Applied Economics Association
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