Dynamic gender differences in reporting work limitations: Comparative evidence from the United States and Europe

The gender gap in self-reported work limitations among individuals aged 50 – 70 has persisted over time and across countries. We investigate whether this gap reflects actual differences in work limitations or variations in reporting styles between genders. Using the anchoring vignettes approach and leveraging vignette survey data from the United States and Europe, we examine how men and women assess the severity of identical work limitations related to pain, cardiovascular health, and depression. Our findings show that men tend to classify identical work limitations as more severe than women. This gender difference in reporting styles is consistent across both the U.S. and Europe and throughout the time periods studied. Once we account for these reporting differences, the gender gap in self-reported work limitations narrows or diminishes. These results have broad implications for research on self-reported work disability and highlight the need for caution when using self-reported measures to assess disability patterns and trends.