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Equilibrium Effects of Pay Transparency

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  • Zoë B. Cullen
  • Bobak Pakzad‐Hurson

Abstract

The discourse around pay transparency has focused on partial equilibrium effects: how workers rectify pay inequities through informed renegotiation. We investigate how employers respond in equilibrium. We study a model of bargaining under two‐sided incomplete information. Our model predicts that transparency reduces the individual bargaining power of workers, leading to lower average wages. A key insight is that employers credibly refuse to pay high wages to any one worker to avoid costly renegotiations with others. When workers have low individual bargaining power, pay transparency has a muted effect. We test our model with an event‐study analysis of U.S. state‐level laws protecting the right of private sector workers to communicate salary information with their coworkers. Consistent with our theoretical predictions, transparency laws empirically lead wages to decline by approximately 2%, and wage declines are smallest in magnitude when workers have low individual bargaining power.

Suggested Citation

  • Zoë B. Cullen & Bobak Pakzad‐Hurson, 2023. "Equilibrium Effects of Pay Transparency," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(3), pages 765-802, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:emetrp:v:91:y:2023:i:3:p:765-802
    DOI: 10.3982/ECTA19788
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    4. Werner, Peter, 2024. "On common evaluation standards and the acceptance of wage inequality," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 137-156.
    5. Philippe, Arnaud & Skandalis, Daphné, 2023. "Motherhood and the Cost of Job Search," IZA Discussion Papers 16669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    7. Danula K. Gamage & Georgios Kavetsos & Sushanta Mallick & Almudena Sevilla, 2024. "Pay transparency intervention and the gender pay gap: Evidence from research‐intensive universities in the UK," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(2), pages 293-318, June.
    8. Shakina, Elena & Volkova, Natalia V. & Paklina, Sofia, 2024. "Perceived worth of human capital across IT jobseekers in the digital era," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    9. Ezquerra, Lara & Gómez-Miñambres, Joaquín & Jimenez, Natalia & Kujal, Praveen, 2023. "The effect of wage proposals on efficiency and income distribution," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 469-493.

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