Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Slightly Higher Salaries, More Equity in the MLS

Last May I showed that the income distribution in Major League Soccer was akin to that which might be found in Haiti -- that is to say, lots and lots of people at the low end of the income scale and a few at the top. The league has just released its 2013 salary information (H/T @FutbalIntellect).

I can report that the MLS Gini Index (a conventional measure of income inequality) has decreased (become more equal) from about 57 to 53 -- so rather than Haiti as an analogue, think Panama. The graph at the top of this post comes from this nifty online calculator.

Some other facts:
Obviously, the MLS has a long way to go to be able to afford top talent from top to bottom.

1 comment:

  1. I can't make sense of the analogy to Haiti. How does a single job within a single industry compare to an entire nation? Unless you are suggesting that there are nefarious goings-on going on, all I see is a market at work. The best players are paid far more than the average because they are difference-makers. Owners bid up salaries because they believe that they are getting value for value. I see nothing in the graphs above that says otherwise.

    ReplyDelete