The concept of comparable worth is criticized for possible problems it could cause in the assessment of comparable values of different occupational categories, the cost to taxpayers, and the chaos it could cause in the economic system. (MD)

Many economists have tried to explain existing wage differentials between men and women. A new approach compares the relative importance of occupational discrimination with that of wage discrimination. This model allows for variation both in occupational distribution and in wages resulting from differences in job qualifications and productivity…

Issued on the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Equal Pay Act (1963), this report is a historical analysis of the economic trends affecting women workers from the years leading up to passage of the act through the present. It is divided into three time periods to highlight important developments: Part I--The Early Impact of the Equal Pay Act,…

The major finding of this study is that the rise in female labor force participation rates from 1956 to 1975 did not lower the overall level of experience. The widening gap between male and female earnings is attributed to the effects of discrimination and role differentiation. (SK)

Millions of older women who work face combined age and sex discrimination. Fifty percent more women aged 45-54 (3.5 million) will enter the job market in the next two decades and face the same problems. Illegal discriminatory practices encountered by older women when job hunting include exclusion from a job opportunity because of a male selecting…

Women are being drawn into the labor force today by powerful economic, demographic, and social forces and far reaching attitudinal changes. Recognition of the reality that women must work, they want to work, and their labor is needed should help us institute policies that would bring about reforms in many areas of life. (Author/GC)

Reports a study of alternative theories of sex discrimination which imply ambiguous predictions about the relation between the male/female earnings ratio and the status and sex composition of the occupation. Notes that about one-half of the earnings gap between the sexes can be attributed to direct discrimination in the labor market, with…

Women's difficult working conditions are due to factors such as the nature and form of women's employment, their reproductive role, and family responsibilities. The relative importance of these factors must be assessed in order to redress inequalities. (SK)

A study examined career opportunities for women in social science research careers in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from the following sources: review of literature/data on women in social science research and their career prospects; survey of Economic and Social Research Council research centers and independent research instituted to…

A major concern for researchers and managers alike is the inequality in the workforce based on gender and position. Researchers have found that women tend to hold disproportionately lower positions than men and receive remuneration of about 60 cents to the dollar compared to their male peers. This study assessed inequality in wage and position…

According to this report by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, women in the Kentucky State government continued to suffer from serious inequities as of November 1982. The salary gap between men and women widened to an annual difference of $4,114, the largest gap of an eight-year trend. The salary gap between black women and white women grew…

Employing data from 12 industrial societies, investigates differences in the labor force behavior, occupational distribution, and attainment patterns of ever- and never-married women. Finds little support for the dual-career theory, which attributes womens' concentration in low-paying employment to gender differences in marital and childrearing…

A common assumption in the outdoor field has been that women's development as outdoor leaders has not kept pace with their participation in outdoor adventure activities. A survey about women's employment was mailed to 103 outdoor education programs with an adventure component; 62 responded. The programs served 160,585 participants in 1994, of…

Studies show that wage differentials between men and women are widening, especially when race is considered, and women are still underrepresented in some fields. It is suggested that affirmative action for women, especially in professional occupations, might have far-reaching positive results in sexual equality and community leadership. (MSE)

The female share of the older work force has nearly doubled since 1950. In 1987, the 6.2 million women aged 55 and over in the labor force constituted 4 of every 10 older workers. Because young women today have a stronger work attachment than did their mothers and grandmothers, the female share of the older work force is likely to continue to…