Female Airbnb hosts earn thousands less per year than male hosts

Our research shines a light on the need to delve further into what factors may be contributing to differences in earnings between genders.

In the U.S., female full-time workers still earn about 80 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, and more women than men live in poverty. This income shortfall also affects millions of children because according to the Census Bureau, around 1 in 4 families headed by a woman are poor, compared to just over 1 in 10 headed by a man.

Among the known reasons for this pay gap: Women are more likely than men to select jobs that require shorter hours or provide flexibility in scheduling. Shorter hours and flexibility in scheduling are preferable for workers who have more demanding obligations at home. However, these jobs are often lower paying.

However, Airbnb hosts have full control of their scheduling and booking of their listings, and female hosts set their own rates. So lack of scheduling flexibility should not be a major factor in explaining why women earn less than men on the platform.

The most important unknown in this area of research is whether women are aware that they are offering lower prices than men.

Exploring whether there are gender-based earnings differences on other hospitality platforms as well, like Vrbo or Homestay, could provide new insights.

Also, it’s not yet clear whether or why male and female hosts take different approaches to setting Airbnb rates – although other research suggests some clues. A 2007 study found that compared to women, men negotiate for higher payments in bargaining situations. And a 2009 study of gender differences in setting professional fees found that women typically charge less than men for the same services because they tend to be more relationship-oriented toward their clients, which can lead them to charge lower prices.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Alexander Davidson, Wayne State University. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Alexander Davidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.