Family of Work: The Female Income Distribution in Europe

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the net income distribution across Europe using data from the 2000 wave from the European Community Household Panel (ECHP). The determination of female income is explored using conditional quantile regression with selection correction. The results show that differences in labour supply and family structure are important across both the income distribution and regions; additionally, the interaction terms between regions and family structure show a large variation. While the incomes of women in some regions are unaffected by having children or by being in a couple, women in other regions experience varying effects on their income. This implies that differences in family structure are important determinants of female income across Europe.