Ethnicity and Wage Determination in Ghana

Barr, Abigail ; Oduro, Abena

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ARGUMENTS;    ATTENTION;    CITIES;    COGNITION;    DISCRIMINATION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2506
RP-ID  :  WPS2506

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The authors look at earningsdifferentials between members of different ethnic groups,and between employers' relatives, unrelated members ofthe same ethnic group, and other workers in Ghana'smanufacturing sector. They find that a significantproportion of the earnings differentials identified betweenethnic groups can be explained with reference to a fairlystandard set of observations about workers'characteristics. Labor market segregation along ethnic lines- combined with considerable variation in employers'characteristics (especially educational attainment andfamily background, possibly because of discrimination inother markets) - accounts for most of the remainingdifferentials. Northerners earn considerably less than othergroups, mainly because they are less educated. The OtherAkan earn much more than the relatively low-earning Asante,Fante, and Ewe. There is no evidence of discriminationbetween ethnic groups, although there is evidence ofdiscrimination in favor of inexperienced workers from thesame ethnic group, who can be assessed, and matched withjobs more easily than similar workers from other ethnicgroups. Finally, workers who are related to their employers,earn a considerable premium, possibly because theycontribute more to productivity than their fellow workers(perhaps through an effect on "esprit de corps").The authors' results draw attention to some startlingdifferences in educational, and labor market attainmentbetween groups. A strong case can be made for including suchissues in the policy debate.