The study looked at earnings inequality in Vietnam from 1993 to 2006. They found that while overall inequality decreased, the gap between public and private sector earnings widened. The best workers tended to go to the public sector, but changes in compensation patterns were the main reason for the growing gap. In the 1990s, public employees were underpaid compared to the private sector, but by the early 2000s, they were earning similar amounts in both sectors. This shift in pay equality explains the increasing gap between public and private sector earnings.