pull down to refresh
30 sats \ 4 replies \ @kepford 28 Aug \ on: Gender wage gap: single men make the same as single women - St Louis Fed charts_and_numbers
Read or listen to Thomas Sowell on this topic. We are given a very distorted view on the supposed wage pay gap. Comparing apples to apples there really isn't a gap or if there is it isn't significant. At least it wasn't when I last checked Sowell on it.
The gap shows up when you don't account for hours works or years of experience. This is true in many statistical looks at groups. If you have an agenda you can use graphs to make your case.
At my company they have found that women actually make slightly more on the margin. It's not significant but for all the complaints you'd think we were back in the 50s.
There will always be sexism and racism but competition and free market incentives really do work.
These do account for hours worked, but nothing else it seems.
reply
I have anecdotal experience and it's just that. But I know female engineers and male ones that such at pitching getting a raise. They also often undervalue their value in the market. Some overvalue it too. These things are complex. Far more than what the "thought leaders" like to pitch.
I know isms aren't dead but they also aren't responsible for all the disparity we see. My bottom line with this stuff is that we (I) have far more control over my future than anyone external to me. Focusing on some possible bias or thing outside of my control is mostly a waste of time. Yeah, I'm a privileged white guy in software but it would be even more important if I wasn't. Not to mention that I personally have been discriminated against for these attributes. Could I prove it? Nah, more important to overcome it.
reply
One of the exercises I have students do in my upper div econ class is to run regressions of earnings on gender, to statistically estimate the gender wage gap.
I show them that if you just include gender, then the gender wage gaps looks like 30%.
However, as you start accounting for other factors, like hours worked, industry and occupation, education level, the wage gap falls significantly. It's still there, but much lower than it initially seems.