GENDER DIFFERENCES IN WAGE LOSSES FROM IMPAIRMENTS - ESTIMATES FROM THE SURVEY OF INCOME AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION

This article develops a model of the relationships among functional im pairments, work disability, employment participation, and wage offers. The model is estimated separately for males and females with data fro m the 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation. Using estimates of disability and wage equations, we rank 25 functional impairments b y severity of disability, and estimate the wage penalty associated wit h each impairment. The results show that limitations to mobility and s trength are relatively more disabling for males than for females, whil e the opposite is true for limitations to sensory capacities and appea rance.