ABSTRACT
In the United States, average wages (and many other indicators of economic success) differ by education, job market experience, hours worked, the possession of special skills, and English-speaking ability. They also differ by race, ethnicity, gender, weight, beauty, religion, skin tone within a race, national origin, national origin within a race, and sexual orientation. Many, not all, would consider the former differences legitimate because these characteristics are thought to be related to productivity and are costly to acquire. Most would not consider the latter differences legitimate because there is no direct connection between any of them and ability to do a job, and many of these characteristics are things you are born with and cannot change. These later differences are often attributed to discrimination.
