General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Is Rachel Maddow sincere? [View all]unblock
(52,208 posts)if a 5% difference due purely to sex discrimination (i.e., after controlling for other factors) is a significant problem, then in terms of motivating action it doesn't much matter; it's a significant problem either way.
in terms of being technically correct (something i value, even if it's politically unimportant or even distracting) BOTH number are correct, the question is how you characterize the numbers. essentially, the 23% figure is valid before controlling for factors other than direct sex discrimination; the 5% figure is valid after controlling for those factors (or at least that's apparently what the research shows).
so whether or not maddow is right or wrong do not depend on which number she emphasizes, what matters is how she characterizes that number. if she says women are, on average, paid 23% less than men for comparable work, then she's right. if she says that that difference is due entirely to direct sex discrimination, then she's wrong.