In this paper the authors discuss a statistical method called multiple comparisons with the best, or MCB. Suppose that there are N populations, and population i has parameter value θi. Let θ(N) = maxi=1,...,Nθi, the parameter value for the 'best' population. Then MCB constructs joint confidence intervals for the differences [θ(N) - θ1, θ(N) - θ2,...,θ(N) - θN]. It is not assumed that it is known which population is best, and part of the problem is to say whether any population is so identified, at the given confidence level.

This paper is meant to introduce MCB to economists. The authors discuss possible uses of MCB in economics. The application that we treat in most detail is the construction of confidence intervals for inefficiency measures from stochastic frontier models with panel data. They also consider an application to the analysis of labour market wage gaps.