An economic analysis of comparable worth

Comparable worth has been called the civil rights issue of the 1980s. Nursing is in the forefront of this movement. Although several governmental agencies are implementing salary programs based on comparable worth, establishing such a program in the hospital setting could yield problems for nurse executives. Implementation could be costly and demand a significant investment of resources. This paper discusses how wages are determined in a competitive market and what happens to that process when restrictions and barriers make the market noncompetitive. Of most importance, alternative strategies for increasing nursing salaries are presented.