Vzniká gender pay gap již na začátku kariéry? Evidence z mladé generace v ČR k roku 2026

The bachelor's thesis examines whether the gender pay gap arises at the beginning of the career of the young generation in the Czech Republic. It focuses on students, recent graduates and young workers with a limited length of experience and analyzes how differences in remuneration manifest themselves in the period of entry into the labor market, i.e. before parenthood and career breaks. The theoretical part defines the concept of gender pay gap, distinguishes between gross and adjusted indicators, presents measurement methods used in the Czech and European contexts, and summarizes the main economic theories and structural factors influencing wage differences, including horizontal and vertical segregation, discrimination, bargaining behavior and institutional conditions of the labor market. The practical part uses a quantitative questionnaire survey that evaluates the influence of the field of study, type of employment, length of experience and wage negotiation on the income of young women and men. The analysis focuses on whether differences in remuneration appear already in the first work experiences and whether they can be explained by different characteristics of the respondents, or whether they persist even after taking them into account. The results show to what extent inequalities are formed already in the early phase of professional life, and contribute to understanding the mechanisms that may later deepen the overall gender pay gap. The final part of the thesis formulates recommendations for economic policy, educational institutions and employer practice.