Naomi Barko

"Comparable worth" policies require employers to pay comparable wages to two people with comparable skills, education, and experience when they work at two different jobs. Naomi Barko asserts in the following viewpoint that such policies are effective in addressing the pay gap between men and women. In Barko's opinion, female-dominated occupations suffer from wage discrimination, leading women on average to earn only 74 cents for each dollar earned by a man. Comparable worth policies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada have proven successful at raising women's wages and have not adversely affected the labor market, according to the author. Barko is a journalist whose articles have appeared in the New York Times,Ms. Magazine, and other national publications.

As you read, consider the following questions:
1. What segment of the workforce is most adversely affected...