International competition and gender distribution

This project studied how competition affects Swedish companies' employment decisions and wage setting. There have been indications that women are being discriminated against in working life, both in terms of salaries and career opportunities. Although there are theories about discrimination that may explain this phenomenon, it is strange that discrimination can survive in a competitive economy with profit-maximizing companies. If women are paid a salary below their productivity, it would be more profitable to employ women than men, which in turn should reduce discrimination. The project asked how the degree of competition affects Swedish companies' employment decisions and wage setting. We studied the effects of product market competition and the effects of changes of ownership.