1 Gender Differential in Earnings for Young European Higher Education Graduates: The Role of Competencies.

This study explores gender earning differentials in human capital competences for young European higher education graduates. The analysis utilizes a classic regression model to explore the relationship between key competences and earnings, together with an Oaxaca decomposition which parses out the extent to which earning differentials can be attributed to differences in human capital competences or to discrimination. The analysis reveals that most of the female/male earning differential is explained not by differences in human capital competences, but by differences in the female/male earning structure. In other words, by labour market discrimination. 1