The Earnings of Soviet Workers: Evidence from the Soviet Interview Project

Micro data gathered by the Soviet Interview Project provide one of the first opp ortunities for Western researchers to investigate the determinants of Soviet earnings. The data show that Soviet labor markets operate in many respects like U.S. labor markets, yet institutional differences remain. The most striking institutional impact is that Soviet workers are rewarded and penalized for political behavior external to the firm. As in the U.S., education and experience are rewarded; men earn more than women. However the Soviet pattern of returns to education is different, returns to experience are lower and occupational segregation of women is less important.