Pay transparency is one of the most effective ways to shrink the earning gap between white men and everyone else. That's why it's a good thing that Colorado has passed a cutting-edge new law that requires companies to disclose hourly wages and salary ranges in job postings.

But now, the Denver Post is reporting that Airbnb and dozens of other major corporations, including Accenture, Nike, and Twitter, are refusing to hire remote workers based in Colorado in an effort to evade the pay transparency law. 

These companies REALLY don't want to give equal pay for equal work. This is an outrageous move that will especially hurt Black, Indigenous, and women of color, as they disproportionately lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and suffer the most from pay inequity.

Despite decades of effort to close the wage gap, women still make about 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. The problem is even more acute for people of color: A Black woman earns 76 cents for every dollar paid to a white man. 

Studies show that women try to fix this inequity by negotiating for a higher salary or position more often than men do--but they're less likely to succeed because then they're seen as "bossy" and "too aggressive." And because of efforts to keep pay levels secret in companies, women don't even have firm numbers to compare their own pay to.

Salary transparency laws are a proven solution. A 2020 report from the National Women's Law Center found that gender pay gaps were smaller when employers disclosed pay ranges in job postings.

But, even amid a supposed nationwide labor shortage and a boom time for travel companies, Airbnb and other companies are refusing to hire Colorado workers just to maintain pay secrecy--and keep pay down.