Definition of Wage Gap

In the economic system Capitalist workers' wages are subject to various variables. Some of them are the collective agreement, the qualification and experience of the worker or the working conditions in each sector. Although these criteria are applicable to all wage earners, there is a reality that reveals a clear imbalance: men and women do not have the same salary.

Thus, with the same academic qualifications and experience, men continue to earn more than women. This phenomenon receives a specific name, the wage gap.

A topic that can lead to confusion

The average salary for men is normally higher than the average salary for women. In principle, this fact highlights a inequality, but the difference in salaries has a logical explanation, since men and women work in sectors different working hours and with different types of working hours and this ultimately translates into lower wages for the woman.

Consequently, the average salary is not an adequate parameter to measure the salary differences between the two sexes.

The concept of the wage gap becomes a injustice and in a expression of inequality only when a basic labor principle is altered: equal work, equal pay. Thus, if María and Juan have identical training and experience and carry out exactly the same activity professional in a company, any distinction in their salaries would imply a breach of the principle from equality between men and women.

In Hollywood and in the porn industry

Some Hollywood actresses have expressed their discomfort about the salary differences between the two sexes, as they consider that this imbalance does not have any type of justification.

In the sector of movie theater for adults there is also a salary gap, but in the opposite sense, since porn actresses earn much more than actors.

Between generations

The idea of ​​wage gap is commonly used in two senses: the difference in salary for reasons of gender and the difference for reasons of age. In the latter case, as a general guideline, there are notable differences between what a 20-year-old young person charges and an adult of 50, both doing the same work.

In principle, this type of gap would be justified, since the adult has more experience and it is logical that he receives a higher salary for it. However, sometimes the generational wage gap is a way of exploiting younger workers.

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