The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender differences in the returns to schooling: an industry-level perspective

Abstract

This study examines gender differences in the returns to schooling across industries in the United States before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for 2010–2024, our findings indicate that returns to schooling declined for both men and women during the pandemic and recovered only partially during the post-COVID period. Overall, women continued to experience slightly higher average returns to schooling than men, although the female advantage narrowed during the post-COVID period. Significant heterogeneity exists across industries: while some sectors, including Mining and Utilities, exhibited higher relative returns to schooling for women, others, such as Educational Services, Administrative Services, and Health Care, experienced reductions in the female advantage. Additional analysis of wage changes by education level indicates that less-educated workers generally experienced faster wage growth than college-educated workers during the pandemic, contributing to a decline in the educational wage premium. These findings highlight the importance of considering industry-specific labour market conditions when evaluating gender differences in the economic returns to education.