CATHOLIC-PROTESTANT INCOME DIFFERENCES IN NORTHERN-IRELAND

The purpose of this paper is to analyse income differences betweeen Ca tholic and Protestant families in Northern Ireland (NI) using Family E xpenditure Survey micro-data. The paper's first conclusion is that the re is much greater inequality within the Catholic and Protestant commu nities than there is between them. It's second conclusion, based upon econometric analysis of data for full-time employees, is that the lowe r mean income of Catholics, relative to Protestants, could be entirely explained in terms of different rates of reward attached to a given s et of labour market characteristics.