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Public perceptions and attitudes towards wages for essential frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jon Reiersen (USN School of Business, University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Vestfold, Tonsberg, Norway)
Elin Svarstad (Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research, Oslo, Norway)

International Journal of Social Economics

ISSN: 0306-8293

Article publication date: 25 November 2024

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Abstract

Purpose

How informed are people about the wage gap between those at the top and those at the lower end of the wage distribution? We analyse this question in the light of the debate that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic about the importance of essential frontline workers and how these are paid compared to other occupations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses wage data for managers in private and public enterprises in Norway in addition to data on wages for two groups of essential frontline workers: cleaning operatives and nurses. We compared this data with what a sample of Norwegians believe the different occupational groups earn and what they think they ideally should earn.

Findings

Respondents overestimate the wages of cleaners and nurses, and they think that both groups should be paid more than they actually earn. Respondents also report ideal wage gaps between managers and essential workers that are significantly smaller than the actual wage gap.

Originality/value

Previous research shows that people on average underestimate actual wage gaps in society and that most people want wage gaps that are far lower than these underestimates. This study adds to this literature by looking at what people know about the pay conditions of essential frontline workers and what they think essential frontline workers ideally should be paid compared to other types of work.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2024-0222

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We thank Kalle Moene and two anonymous referees for very helpful comments and suggestions.

Citation

Reiersen, J. and Svarstad, E. (2024), "Public perceptions and attitudes towards wages for essential frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-03-2024-0222

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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