01 · The discovery
The idea, in everyday language
A snapshot of today’s pay gap cannot explain how it arose. Goldin assembled historical evidence to follow women’s work over more than two centuries in the United States, including work that older records often overlooked.
She showed that participation did not simply rise with economic growth. It fell and then rose as economies, education and expectations changed. Her work also examined how family formation and jobs that reward long, inflexible hours contribute to differences in earnings.
Why it matters
The research helps explain why more education alone does not necessarily eliminate earnings gaps and why the organisation of work and care matters.
