Salaries have soared to the point where some professional leagues have introduced salary caps in an attempt to level the playing field between rich clubs in major television markets and poorer teams in less lucrative markets.
As Hong Kong became wealthier, local workers' salaries rose to the point that few were willing to work for a maid's salary, and the demand for foreign maids grew.
To be sure, the Obama record on equality in the workplace is an improvement over the previous administration as during the comparable point of the Bush administration there were just 3 women who had achieved the top salary.
More to the point, if the employers are able to negotiate to hire more workers at a lower salary that will be more expansionary than if union contracts, minimum wage laws or social convention leads them to hire fewer workers at higher salaries.