COMPARABLE WORTH: SOME ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION

The comparable worth approach is a radical departure from market determination of wages. This paper considers some economic issues pertinent to the comparable worth dialogue and focuses on implications of comparable worth legislation at the state and local levels. We show that current sex differentials in wages could reflect voluntary labor supply choices and/or discrimination. We also discuss the reverberations of comparable worth and note that some women in an occupation targeted with a wage increase could be made worse off as a result of employer cutbacks. We discuss why state or local officials may be hesitant to adopt comparable worth and also offer possible explanations for their being receptive to it. The intent throughout is to provide a balanced discussion that will aid individuals in taking an educated stand on the issue.     

PAY EQUITY AND COMPARABLE WORTH

An important and emerging public policy consideration… generally called equal pay for comparable worth…has received great attention from those who influence or report public policy initiatives. The comparable worth movement is directed at pay equity issues, primarily between men and women. The source of controversy surrounding comparable worth concerns the mechanism for determining wages in the economy…either an unrestricted market process or a subjective valuation process by designated "pay equity experts." Although the pay and allocation mechanisms and their side effects are controversial, other important questions concern the actual method of equity determination to be used in implementing comparable worth. This paper analyzes, from a general public policy perspective, many of the issues and much of the evidence surrounding comparable worth initiatives.     

COMPARABLE WORTH: CANADA'S EXPERIENCE

This paper discusses the design, implementation and administration of comparable worth legislation in Canada, focusing particular attention on the potential of comparable worth to close the male-female earnings gap. The authors document the Canadian legislative initiatives, provide illustrative evidence on the impact of comparable worth, and identify the main policy lessons to be learned from the experience of Canada, where the comparable worth concept has evolved furthest.     

NEGLECTED WOMEN AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS OF COMPARABLE WORTH

Comparable worth proposals presume that the gender wage gap is a result of occupational segregation. The proposals argue that females are channeled into "women's jobs" and that overcrowding depresses women's wages below the "value" of the work performed. Comparable worth legislation proposes replacing the idea of equal pay for equal work with a principle of equal pay for different work of comparable worth determined by job evaluations. Such job evaluations are feasible only for the public sector and large private employers. The analysis in this paper recognizes that comparable worth wage adjustments are to be limited to the large employers. It examines how employers in the covered sector tend to alter their pay packages and hiring standards. Comparable worth legislation also affects wages in the uncovered sector populated by small employers. The rationing of women's jobs and the changes in hiring standards for men's jobs in the covered sector tend to redound to the benefit of smart, energetic women and dull, indolent men.     

对我国旅游扶贫的几点思考

无论从自然资源还是人文资源来看,我国中西部地区都具有发展旅游业的独特的优势。因此,许多地方政府实行旅游扶贫的政策,十几年来取得了显著的成效。如今,我国实行西部大开发,中央要求中西部地区努力发展自己的特色产业,缩小与东部地区的差距。在这种新的经济形势下,我们又该如何来看待“旅游扶贫”呢？本文从怎样理解“贫困”;旅游扶贫是否一扶就灵;旅游扶贫与政府的关系;旅游扶贫与可持续性发展;旅游扶贫与创新等五个方面对贫困地区如何发展旅游业提出了自己的看法。     

REFLECTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTING ISSUES

The paper studies how, in the future, certain environmental concerns could possibly be addressed in the central framework of the System of National Accounts. Considering only economic (market-type) valuation and not ecological valuation. the position is taken that a number of changes to the SNA central framework may be envisaged. For example, accounting for the depletion of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources. The issue of the degradation of natural resources due to their use for disposal services and the joint loss of consumption services is more complex, volume aspects should be considered rather than simple adjustments in current value.     

立足国情、以问题为导向研究城市化——对推进我国城市化研究的若干思考

随着国家对城市化的重视,国内城市化研究盛况空前。但为政府政策做注解的味道太重,亟待改进。世界城市化发展的经验表明,并不存在统一的城市化模式;城市化发展阶段论仅有相对的意义,不能生搬硬套;我国城市化研究要有国情意识,注意一般与特殊的关系,避免欧洲中心主义的误导;城市化研究要以问题为导向,抽象地谈城市化发展或对其量的发展予以特别重视,都可能误导我国城市化实践。     

中国城市人口可比增长速度的空间差异(1949──1995)

本文川计算城市人口可比增长速度的方法．分三个阶段检验了我国城市人口增长速度的总体状况和空间差异.认为城市人口增长速度呈明显的马鞍形,大城市增长速度波动最大,与决策者的认识与愿望不一致。通过三个阶段快速增长城市和缓慢增长城市分布的分析、认为东中西之间和南北之间的差异都很明显。我国城市发展的重点,第一阶段在西部．第二阶段在中部、第三阶段在东部。南方城市的增长速度在第一阶段远远落后于北方。第二阶段差距有所缩小．第三阶段南方城市接近或超过了北方城市。东部快于中西部．南方快于北方的趋势仍在继续。城市人口增长速度空间差异的变化与我国宏观经济发展方针的转变相一致。     

代际可持续发展:基于艾奇沃斯方框图的分析

文章从可持续发展的内涵与条件入手,借助于微观经济学的艾奇沃思方框图,分析了人类社会代际可持续发展资源配置的两种情形:无效的帕累托最优和有效的帕累托最优。得出了可持续发展是经济增长可持续、社会发展可持续、生态环境可持续和人力资源可持续的统一,代际可持续发展是人力资源可持续性与科学技术可持续性统一的基本结论。     

我国土地征用制度的理论考察及改革思考

征地制度是我国一项基本土地制度，征地过程是集体土地转变为国有土地的所有权转变过程，强制性和补偿性是其两个基本特征。文章简要回顾了我国土地征用制度的演变轨迹，分析了现行土地征用制度的绩效和不足，提出了土地征用制度改革应遵循的原则，在评价两种改革观点的基础上，对征地补偿的改革进行了理论设计。     

REDISTRIBUTION OF INCOME—NOTES ON SOME PROBLEMS AND PUZZLES

There are both major philosophical and major econometric questions to be faced in the measurement of inequality of income. The scaling of different sizes and types of families can never be unique and may be a function of real income. However, even subjective guesses may be better than doing nothing. Demographic changes, such as the increase in pensioners with the increase in life expectancy, affects the distribution of income, and it seems desirable to estimate the separate effect of their influence. The extent to which the inequality of incomes is reduced by all taxes and benefits combined has remained remarkably constant in the U.K. over the period for which estimates have been made (1937–1967). The progressive effect of all taxes and benefits combined is largely the result of benefits (in cash and kind). The stability in the degree of inequality of original income is much more difficult to explain. A number of factors which reduce or increase inequality can be identified for further analysis.     

关于可持续发展理论与实践的若干思考

可持续发展理论与实践的深入有赖于在四个方面的重新认识：首先,可持续发展是观念性、战略性实践性的统一;其次,可持续发展是层次性与阶段性的统一;第三,可持续发展是区域性与综合性的统一;最后, 制度变革与创新是影响可持续发展的关键因素。