Question: You are at a political rally with some friends. A candidate for state office states that working women earn about 60 cents for each dollar that working men earn. The candidate says, "This is dearly evidence that employers discriminate against women. This gap between the earnings of men and women will never dose because professions women tend to choose are traditionally low paying and the professions men choose are traditionally high paying. I propose that the government create a panel to decide what jobs should pay so that people of similar skills and education earn the same amount.
Suppose a secretary and a truck driver are judged to require the same level of education and skills, yet a secretary earns $30,000 while a truck driver earns $40,000. What would happen to the quantities supplied and demanded in the market for secretaries and truck drivers if the wage for these professions were set by law at $35,000?