What is fair pay? W = P * MP
What is fair pay? W = P * MP
Kevin J. Murphy “Executive Compensation” in O. Ashenfelter and D. Card eds. Handbook of Labor Economics Vol. 3B. 1999
Stock Option Time P0P0 T1T1 P1P1 Strike Price
Stock Option Time P0P0 Option “in the money” T1T1 P1P1 Gain
The Economist January 21, 2006 Average CEO Pay, Company with annual revenues of $500 million
Kevin J. Murphy “Executive Compensation” in O. Ashenfelter and D. Card eds. Handbook of Labor Economics Vol. 3B. 1999
Why not offer stock options to everyone? THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 24, 2005; Page A1 Silicon Volley As Tech Matures, Workers File A Spate of Salary Complaints
Limitations on the Market Paradigm What determines wages within firms? Internal Labor Markets—Job allocation and compensation decisions within firms Pay structure set by steps, grades, equal treatment across workers within classifications (clerical, blue collar, professional, …)
Limitations on the Market Paradigm Pay structure may be partially divorced from market forces Example California Merit Pay System Market forces most important at entry level
The Market for Nurses Frequently alleged that nurses are underpaid relative to their fair value
Growth of Usual Weekly Wages for Physicians, Nurses, Manufacturing Workers, and Private Sector Workers, Occupation Physicians Registered Nurses Manufacturing Private Sector CPI Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and Earnings. Various issues. Updated by National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Growth of Usual Weekly Wages for Physicians, Nurses, Manufacturing Workers, and Private Sector Workers, Percent Growth in Real Wages = 100*{(W t / P t ) / (W t-1 /P t-1 )} Occupation Physicians Registered Nurses Manufacturing Private Sector Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and Earnings. Various issues.