The Impact of Female Employment on Male Wages and Careers: Evidence from the English Banking Industry, 1890-1941

38 Pages Posted: 23 Jun 2012

See all articles by Andrew Seltzer

Andrew Seltzer

University of London, Royal Holloway College - Department of Economics

Abstract

The late 19th and early 20th century British labour market experienced an influx of female clerical workers. Employers argued that female employment increased opportunities for men to advance; however, most male clerks regarded this expansion of the labour supply as a threat to their pay and status. This paper examines the effects of female employment on male clerks using data from Williams Deacon's Bank covering a period 25 years prior and 25 years subsequent to the initial employment of women. It is shown that within position women were substitutes for men, although the degree of substitutability was less for older men than for juniors. In addition, the employment of women in routine positions allowed the Bank to expand its branch network, creating new higher-level positions, which were almost always filled by men.

Keywords: clerical labour markets, female employment, spill over effects, internal labour markets

JEL Classification: N3, J3

Suggested Citation

Seltzer, Andrew, The Impact of Female Employment on Male Wages and Careers: Evidence from the English Banking Industry, 1890-1941. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6663, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2089712 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2089712

Andrew Seltzer (Contact Author)

University of London, Royal Holloway College - Department of Economics ( email )

Royal Holloway College
Egham
Surrey, Surrey TW20 0EX
United Kingdom

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