A gender analysis of U.S. labor market policies for the working poor

Current anti-poverty policy proposals focus on welfare reform to the exclusion of reforming the low-wage labor market. In contrast, we compare two policy proposals aimed at low-wage labor markets: a national comparable worth policy and an increase in the minimum wage. With both policies we pay speci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Feminist economics 1995-10, Vol.1 (3), p.60-81
Main Authors: Figart, Deborah, Lapidus, June
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antipoverty Programs
comparable worth
Females
Feminism
Gender (women)
Gender aspects
Income Inequality
Labor Market
Labor Policy
Labour market
Labour policy
Low Income Groups
Males
Minimum Wage
Minimum wages
pay equity
Policy
Policy Reform
Poor
Poor people
poverty
Sex
Sex Differences
U.S.A
United States of America
USA
Wage differentials
Welfare Policy
Working Women
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Summary:Current anti-poverty policy proposals focus on welfare reform to the exclusion of reforming the low-wage labor market. In contrast, we compare two policy proposals aimed at low-wage labor markets: a national comparable worth policy and an increase in the minimum wage. With both policies we pay specific attention to their impact by gender. Our findings suggest that while both would reduce poverty among working women, the impact of a comparable worth policy on female poverty would be greater under most scenarios presented. It is estimated that an increase of 96 cents per hour in the national minimum wage would be necessary to equal the poverty reduction effect for women workers of a comparable worth policy which excludes small employers. Both policies decrease the incidence of povertylevel wages less among men, since roughly 60 percent of minimum wage workers are women. Additionally, not only would a national comparable worth policy improve the economic status of low-waged women workers, it would also narrow the gap between male and female poverty. While an increase in the minimum wage would also reduce this gap, comparable worth would virtually eliminate it.
ISSN:1354-5701
1466-4372
DOI:10.1080/714042249