American Economic Review: Insights
ISSN 2640-205X (Print) | ISSN 2640-2068 (Online)
Nonbinary and Transgender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census
American Economic Review: Insights
(pp. 36–52)
Abstract
We provide the first evidence from a large population census on earnings disparities experienced by nonbinary people—individuals who do not exclusively identify as men or women—and transgender people—individuals whose gender differs from their sex assigned at birth—relative to cisgender people. Using restricted-access 2021 Canadian census data linked to tax records, we find that nonbinary individuals assigned male at birth, transgender men, transgender women, and cisgender women all earn significantly less than comparable cisgender men. Nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth experience an additional earnings penalty. Differences in job sorting explain some of these disparities.Citation
Carpenter, Christopher S., Donn Feir, Krishna Pendakur, and Casey Warman. 2026. "Nonbinary and Transgender Identities and Earnings: Evidence from a National Census." American Economic Review: Insights 8 (1): 36–52. DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20240571Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
- J71 Labor Discrimination