Claudia Goldin is well known at HEC Lausanne for her work on inequalities in the labour market. She has just been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics. Rafael Lalive, professor at the Faculty of HEC (UNIL), and a number of his colleagues in the Department of Economics, have already had the opportunity to discuss her work with her. Here he comments on the announcement of this prestigious distinction.
An expert in labour market issues, Prof. Rafael Lalive is delighted with this announcement, which highlights and brings to the forefront the issue of gender inequality in the labour market. He is very familiar with this issue, having tackled it in 2009 in his paper entitled "Approval of equal rights and gender differences in well-being".
Rafael Lalive comments: "Claudia Goldin's research reveals the persistent gender disparities in the global labour market, in particular the fact that women remain significantly under-represented and earn less than their male counterparts. Prof. Goldin shows that women's participation initially declined with the transition from agrarian to industrial societies in the 19th century. It then increased with the emergence of the service sector in the early 20th century. This change reflects evolving societal norms and structural changes. Despite advances in women's education, a substantial pay gap persisted throughout the twentieth century."
He continues: "Claudia Goldin explains that the most significant divergence occurs at the birth of a woman's first child, highlighting the crucial role of early educational decisions. This research highlights the importance of understanding women's participation in the labour market and identifying future barriers to overcome."
At HEC Lausanne, the issue of inequality in the labour market is particularly close to our hearts. As such, our faculty has its own Equality Commitee, which carries out a number of initiatives to promote the next generation of female academics.