“Wages are not exclusively determined by the skills” of workers, but many firms give a remuneration premium over another for employees with equivalent qualifications and experience, according to the study authors.
One of the “key” elements that explains this phenomenon is the productivity of companies, the OECD chief economist Laurence Boone pointed out in the online presentation of the document.
In countries with large productivity gaps between companies, wage inequalities are larger, Boone said.
The United States is by far the country of the 20 in the sample with the greatest wage dispersion, followed by Estonia, Hungary, Canada, Costa Rica, Japan and Spain. At the other extreme are Finland, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.
The chief economist considered that traditional policies to combat pay inequalities, which focus on improving skills or experience, are not enough.
This would contribute to favoring the increase in the productivity of firms and the mobility of workers, particularly those with lower wages.
Also increase competition and investment in infrastructures that speed up mobility.
