Economists and others concerned with the theory of wages or with the functioning of Soviet economy will find this investigation of the inequality of wages in the Soviet Union an illuminating study. Based on data used by Soviet administrators in making their decisions, it establishes for the first time in a scientifically acceptable manner the principles according to which differences in earnings in the U.S.S.R. are determined. It is also the first study to present comparable data on the inequality prevailing under capitalism.

Soviet Wages is the only detailed description and analysis of contemporary earnings determination for Soviet industrial workers.

This study analyses the newly available statistical evidence on income distribution in the former Soviet Union both by social group and by republic, and considers the significance of inequalities as a factor contributing to the demise of the Communist regime. Among the topics covered are wage distribution (interbranch and skill differentials and distribution in terms of gender, education, and age), income distribution for the former USSR as a whole, and wage and income distribution patterns for each republic, with analysis of regional differences.