EMPLOYER-SPONSORED HEALTH AND PENSION BENEFITS AND THE GENDER RACE WAGE GAP/

White men are more likely to be covered by fringe benefits than are wo men and black men. This study considers the effect of differences in b enefit status on the gap in total compensation by gender and race. The gap explained by differences in observable worker characteristics is greater for benefit-sector workers when measured by total compensation than when measured by wages only. However, less than 50 percent of th e gap in compensation between white males and other workers is due to differences in observable characteristics.