Market Correction

3 June 2007

The Editor, The Baltimore Sun

To the Editor:

There's much anger over the Supreme Court ruling that strictly limits the window of opportunity for workers to bring pay-bias lawsuits (Letters, June 3). I can't join in this orgy of outrage.

Comparing pay from one worker to the next is difficult. Even employees with the same job title often have different informal agreements with their employer. One worker, for example, might never be called for weekend work because of his family situation while a fellow worker is frequently called upon to work unusual hours. If the first worker is paid less than the second, is he a victim of discrimination? If so, another employer likely would eventually bid him away by offering him a salary closer to his true worth. But if this first worker continues working for the same employer at the lower wage, the best bet is that he is a less-productive worker than his colleague.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University<