Gender pay gap in education and estimation of unexplained part: The case of the Czech Republic

Background The gender pay gap has long been recognized as an important indicator of labor market inequality. This article focuses on wage disparities between men and women in education sector. Objective The aim of the paper is to estimate the unexplained component of the gender pay gap in the education sector in the Czech Republic using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, and to examine how this unexplained component evolved over the decade between 2012 and 2022. Methods To estimate the unexplained part of gender pay gap, EU-SILC data were used and the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition was applied. Results The raw gender pay gap in education was approximately 31% in 2012 and 26% to the disadvantage of women in 2022. Differences in personal and firm-level characteristics explain only part of the wage gap. The unexplained part reached approximately 14% in 2012 and 10% in 2022. Conclusions The gender pay gap in the education sector, as well as its unexplained component, decreased between 2012 and 2022. However, wage inequalities still persist. By quantifying the unexplained part of the pay gap, the paper contributes to a better understanding of inequalities in remuneration and offers an empirical basis for designing fairer wage policies.