The Purpose of This Bl;og

By and large, liberals are very decent, kind, and compassionate people who genuinely want what is best. This should be kept in mind as we explore the Law of Unintended Negative Consequences near invariably resulting from Leftist big-hearted solutions to societal problems.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Equal Pay for Equal Work - Different Locations, Different Pay

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report of 2012, "Median weekly earnings and women’s-to-men’s earnings ratios vary by state of residence." (See HERE, p. 6)

This should come as no surprise to those of us who have labored in different places across the nation and/or who have run and/or worked for national corporations.

For example, the median weekly wage for both sexes in South Dakota is $664, whereas in the District of Columbia it is $1,102 (ibid. p 36); whereas the average annual salary for a neonatal care nurse is about $90k in California, as compared with $53k in Iowa. (See HERE) Quite a disparity!

In short, different locations pay differently even for the same jobs, and they pay men and women differently.

Interestingly enough, given the numbers indicated above, to some extent the inequality in pay between certain states is far greater than the disparity in wages between men and women (as high as 40% difference as compared with 23%). So, if liberals are concerned about wage inequity, perhaps they should focus on the bigger problem between states rather than between the sexes.

Be that as it may, the inequality of pay between the states and sexes isn't because of wrongful prejudice and malice, but, as the BLS report explains, among other things: "The differences among the states reflect, in part, variation in the occupations and industries found in each state and diversity in the age composition of each state’s labor force." (See HERE, p. 6)

This means that in order for Democrats to decrease income disparity using their preferred method of government intervention, the government would have to force a sizable number of women to move to and work in higher paying states and also states with lower disparity in pay between the sexes.

Not only would this produce the Leftist LUNC of violating personal freedoms and women's right to chose, but it presents a confounding problem in that, among many things, some of the highest paying states have the greatest disparity in wages between the sexes, and vice verse.

For instance, Alaska's median weekly earning for both sexes is $888. which is well above the national average of $768, while the median earnings for women is 73.9 % that of men, which is well below the national average of 80.9%; whereas in Arizona the earnings for both sexes is $732, which is below the national average of $768, while the median earnings for women is 86.8% that of men, which is well above the national average of 80.9%. (ibid., pp. 36-37)

To which of these two states do liberals propose women should be forced to move in the mythical quest for wage equity?


For an explanation as to why these Leftist LUNCs may occur, please see: Gov: Wrong Tool for the Right Job - Introduction and Cold Nanny as well as The Politics of Compassion, Emotions, Ignorance, Denial, Blame-Shifting, Equality, and Victimization

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