IS THERE A MARRIAGE OR PARENTHOOD INCOME PENALTY AMONG POLICE?: A CASE STUDY OF OCCUPATIONAL GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Abstract

Research has found an earnings advantage for married men as well as men with children. In contrast, married women and women with children often receive a much smaller wage premium, or even face a wage penalty. Most research on the marriage and motherhood income penalties has focused on the private labor market, tacitly assuming that the laws and regulations that govern public sector occupations will prevent this form of occupational gender inequality within these domains. Whether this is the case remains an empirical question. With increasing numbers of females entering the labor force, examining whether these forms of occupational gender inequality are present within public sector jobs has become more important. Using data from the Current Population Survey covering 41 years, I explore the gendered effects of marriage and parenthood on income inequality using police officers as a case study of a public-sector occupation. My analyses reveal that female police officers experience both marriage and motherhood income penalties, though the marriage penalty is partially explained by the stronger negative effect of motherhood on female police officers’ income. Furthermore, these analyses suggest that male officers enjoy stable marriage and fatherhood income advantages over time, but females continuously face a motherhood penalty. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of my findings for future research. Keywords: police officer, marriage penalty, motherhood penalty, income, gender inequality