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July 1994

Gender-related shifts in the distribution of wages

Paul Ryscavage

The Nation's wage distribution grew more unequal during the 1980's, with top and bottom becoming more concentrated at the expense of the middle. For men, the middle "hollowed out" considerably; for women, the middle actually "filled in," with only a small increase in the bottom of the distribution. This article focuses on gender-related shifts in the Nation's wage distribution during the 1980's, when women's wages grew faster than men's, on average.

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