Document Type

Capstone Project

Publication Date

5-21-2026

Publication Title

UNLV Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Volume

3

Issue

1

First page number:

1

Last page number:

14

Abstract

This study analyzes the gender wage gap in metropolitan versus rural areas using U.S. hourly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for the period 2010-2025. The analysis uses regressions on a semi-log wage model and Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions to compare the gaps and separate the effects attributable to explained (endowment) differences from those attributable to unexplained (coefficient) differences. The semi-log wage model reveals a percentage wage decrease for females of approximately 17.4% in rural areas and 9.9% in metropolitan areas. The Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions further indicate that the unexplained (coefficient) component of the gap is substantially larger in rural areas than in metropolitan areas, while the explained (endowment) component is similar across the two areas. In conclusion, the gender wage gap persists in both rural and metropolitan areas and is more pronounced in rural areas—a pattern consistent with, though not direct proof of, greater wage discrimination in rural labor markets.

Keywords

Gender wage gap; rural areas; metropolitan areas; hourly wage; labor market discrimination

Disciplines

Benefits and Compensation | Economics | Labor Relations | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

File Format

PDF

File Size

306 KB

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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