On the Natural Intelligence of Women in a World of Constrained Choice: How the Feminization of Clerical Work Contributed to Gender Pay Equality in Early Twentieth Century Canada

摘要

From 1900 to 1930, women were increasingly important to clerical work, and clerical work became of increasing importance to female employment in Canada. During this period, however, the gender pay gap between women and men in clerical work persistently narrowed and the female pay rate in this occupation remained the highest of all occupations in which the employment of women was at all important. Clearly, not only did the clerical sector never became a low-wage ghetto for women in the pre-depression period, the feminization of clerical work also contributed significantly to the reduction of the gender pay gap which took place over the 1900-1930 period. In this case, the very forces that contributed to labor market segmentation improved women's position in the labor market as women chose to seek employment in clerical work, which provided them with benefits and opportunities not often provided in other occupations.