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Comparable Worth
Comparable worth, also known as pay equity, refers to equitable pay for work considered to be equal in value, mostly when considering similar jobs or positions. It is an effort to address the pay gap experienced primarily by people of color and women by proposing that all persons be compensated equitably for work that is the same or similar in value. Research indicates that compared with white men, women make about 84 cents to every dollar earned by white men and Black men earn 87 cents to every dollar earned by white men.
Understanding unique experiences with regard to comparable worth promotes multicultural awareness, and an overall understanding of pay equity supports the development of appropriate advocacy practices for counseling professionals working with marginalized groups. Furthermore, knowledge of comparable worth helps counselors to effectively work with those individuals who are negatively impacted by pay inequity and the consequent social impacts. This entry considers comparable worth in the light of civil rights, provides some examples of pay disparities and consequent social costs, and discusses advocacy efforts toward comparable worth.
Comparable Worth and Civil Rights
Pay gaps are well-documented persistent phenomena between the gender dichotomy of male and female and between people of color and whites. While less attention has been given to pay equity and comparable worth for people of color than to pay gaps between men and women, pay disparities between whites and people of color are considerable. The rise of comparable worth as a movement is a result of the lack of pay equity for marginalized communities.
In 1963, the United States enacted the Equal Pay Act, which was intended to address the pay gap between men and women doing comparable work. However, as of 2022, women continue to make less than men and people of color continue to make less than whites in comparable positions. This discrepancy is observed across various disciplines and arenas, including entertainment, sports, and the earnings and endorsements garnered through those outlets. While equity in pay is at the fore of comparable worth, the value placed on a position is also a strong component of comparable worth rather than actual job titles. Despite the Equal Pay Act and the subsequent Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was enacted to remediate discriminatory acts based on criteria such as religion, national origin, race, sex, and skin color, research has shown that discriminatory practices regarding pay equity and the valuing of positions continue.
Examples
Pay inequities for women are dominated by disciplines largely populated by women (e.g., education, healthcare, childcare, housekeeping) and fields largely dominated by men (e.g., vocational jobs, trucking, garbage disposal, sports, entertainment). Often, there are significant differences in pay between men and women working in these fields, even when the men and women are in the same or similar positions and have the same level of risk, education or training, and responsibilities. One example of such clear discrepancies is the pay differences for those in the entertainment industry and in professional sports. For example, comedian Mo’Nique accused Netflix of paying Black women less than Black male comedians and white female comedians. There is also at least a US$ 1 million difference per film between male and female actors from the time period 1980–2015. As noted earlier, pay equity is not limited to men and women; it is also discussed when looking at differences in salaries of people of color versus white males and in differences in position attainment.
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