Gender Wage Differentials: Glass Ceilings vs Sticky Floors

This dissertation studies an old topic in a new perspective: distributive pattern of gender wage differentials globally. It is both interesting and crucial, especially for policy-makers who attempt to eliminate gender discrimination. In addition to the empirical importance, this dissertation also explores the applications of quantile decomposition, and creatively proposes the methodology of double decomposition in studying over-time change in gender wage gaps and formulate a discriminating search model. Chapters in this dissertation have been presented in many international academic conferences including 4th Young Economist Society conference held in Guangzhou, 3rd SOLE/EALE joint conference in London, 2010 Shanghai Econometric Society World Congress, 12th conference of East Asia Economic Association in Seoul, and 2011 Singapore Economic Review.