Why Do We Need Another Equal Pay Law?
This is June O’Neill, writing in the Wall Street Journal:
Why do we need still more legislation? The reason, say the bill’s sponsors, is that women earn 77% as much as men, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But this figure refers to the annual earnings of full-time, year-round workers. It doesn’t compare comparable men and women, and it doesn’t reflect that full-time men work 8%-10% more hours per week than full-time women.
It also doesn’t reflect what research of mine and others have shown: Men typically accumulate more continuous work experience and therefore acquire higher productivity in the labor market. In fact, the gender gap shrinks to between 8% and 0% when the study incorporates measures such as work experience, career breaks and part-time work.
The most important source of the gender wage gap is that women assume greater responsibility for child-rearing than men. That influences women’s extent and continuity of work, which affects women’s skills and therefore wages. In addition, women often seek flexible work schedules, less stressful work environments, and other conditions compatible with meeting the demands of family responsibilities. Those come at a price—namely, lower wages.
The answer to your question is “no”.
We need another law to give lawyers something to do. Everybody needs to earn a living somehow. Right?
I don’t keep up with the literature in labor economics, but I believe it is correct to say that no one has ever shown that any of these laws have ever made a difference.
Joe S. is right. The only group who wins with these types of policies is the lawyers.
An article in Slate explained that women in the Netherlands work fewer hours, work jobs with less responsibility and earn less than men — and they like the status quo. The women supply only a small portion of family income and they jealously guard their right to part-time work. It’s tempting to assume small children are the reason; but nearly two-thirds of women in the Netherlands who work part time don’t have kids at home. Mothers rarely increase their house when their kids leave home. It reflects a preference for more work-life balance. It’s an interesting read: http://www.slate.com/id/2274736/
Everything I see by June O’Neill I like. Let’s have more of her material posted here.