Dispersão dos rendimentos do trabalho entre homens e mulheres: uma análise da Região Sul do Brasil (2012-2019)

Abstract

The labor market shows dispersions in earnings between men and women, influenced by the productive characteristics of workers, gender and color discrimination, occupational segregation and regional factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the dispersion of labor incomes between men and women along the distribution of incomes in southern Brazil, considering the entire southern region and its occupations, the Metropolitan Region (MR) and Non-Metropolitan Region (NMR), and the states of Paraná (PR), Santa Catarina (SC) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS), in the periods from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2019. The specific objectives include: a) to estimate and analyze the determinants of labor income in the Southern Region and by occupations; b) to estimate and analyze the determinants of labor income in the RM and RNM, and in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul; c) to estimate and analyze how productive factors influence the dispersion of income between male and female workers in the Southern Region and by occupations; d) estimate and analyze how productive factors influence the dispersion of earnings between male and female workers in the MR and NMR, and in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul; and e) evaluate how structural factors influence the dispersion of earnings between male and female workers. The research is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering gender equality (SDG 5), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). The hypotheses formulated were: (I) dispersion between men and women is greater among workers with higher incomes and higher qualifications, explained by unobservable factors; and, (II) income dispersion becomes more pronounced during periods of economic crisis. The methodology used the Mincer (1974) wage equation to estimate the Recentralized Influence Function (RIF regression) and the Decomposition by Recentralized Influence Function (RIF decomposition). The stacked microdata was obtained from the IBGE's National Continuous Household Sample Survey (PNADC), for the first visit. The results showed that in both periods, experience and study had a positive influence on income, especially in the higher quantiles. Education had a greater impact in the crisis period (2016 to 2019), and men had higher incomes. Factors such as color, formal work and residence in urban areas were also associated with higher incomes. In terms of income dispersion, men received higher incomes in all the areas analyzed, with the exception of the elementary occupational group, and the disparities were more pronounced during the crisis. Discrimination, as an unobservable factor, was the main determinant of these disparities. Despite existing public policies, Brazil still faces significant challenges in reducing gender discrimination in the labor market, especially in the barriers to women's professional advancement, such as the “glass ceiling” and the “sticky floor”. It is recommended to increase enforcement of existing policies and implement tax incentives for companies that reduce gender income dispersion, as well as the development of a government database for the dissemination of salary reports by gender at the municipal, state and/or federal level, since this information is already provided by companies to the government under the Equal Pay Act.