4. Methodology and outline

This publication presents part of the findings from a project on equal pay for work of equal value in the Nordic region, initiated by the Nordic Council of Ministers with the aim of helping to reduce the pay gap between women and men in the Nordic countries. After an initial inventory phase, which consisted of developing an overview of how the issue of work of equal value has been addressed in national studies and government reports in the Nordic countries over the past five-year period (2019–2024, see Stüber, 2024), a survey was formulated to collect experiences and knowledge from key stakeholders in the Nordic countries.

During the summer of 2023, the survey was sent to identified persons in government agencies, private and public employer organisations and trade unions, as well as to researchers and other experts involved in labour market issues and working to close the gender pay gap. The aim was to identify problem formulations and themes, as well as conflicts of goals and interests, related to their experiences of the issue of equal pay for work of equal value in the labour markets of the Nordic countries.

The survey (see Appendix 1) was sent out on 16 June 2023 to 56 recipients in the five Nordic countries (see Appendix 2). The deadline for submitting the survey was 15 September, at which point 41 per cent of recipients had responded. Responses were from all over the Nordic region, with a relatively even distribution between the five countries: Denmark (3), Finland (6), Iceland (4), Norway (6) and Sweden (4). The responses also come from a range of stakeholder types: public authorities (8), trade unions (5), researchers (5), private sector employers (3) and public sector employers (2). Given the response rate, this survey should be seen as a kind of consultation, rather than a quantitative study that claims to be representative.

The responses received were compiled and thematised, and following a discussion in autumn 2023 among the project reference group – consisting of experts from the Nordic countries – the survey was supplemented with literature studies to develop, deepen, and discuss the conclusions from the survey. Overall, the results offer a picture of important challenges that need to be addressed to help reduce the pay gaps that exist between women and men in the Nordic countries.

Chapter five discusses various statistics of the gender pay gap, introducing the concepts of unadjusted and adjusted pay gaps, structural pay gaps and value discrimination, among others. Statistical examples are used to illustrate various factors that can explain the pay gap.

Chapter six provides an overview of theoretical approaches from research, focusing in particular on segregation in working life and gender labelling of occupations. These theoretical approaches can be seen as a summary of the previous discussion on pay gaps and serve as an introduction to the presentation of the survey responses in the following chapters.

Chapter seven presents the results of the survey of key stakeholders in the Nordic countries, divided into three different themes: 1) Gender segregation in the labour market, 2) Other explanations: caring responsibilities and pay negotiation and 3) The Nordic labour market models. Based on quotes from the survey responses, problem formulations, conflicts of goals and interest are discussed in light of the theoretical approaches presented in the previous chapter and with references to research and other studies.

Chapter eight provides a summarising discussion that highlights a number of overarching reflections from the previous chapter and some key messages for future initiatives to reduce the gender pay gap through equal pay for work of equal value.