Seattle funds comparable worth study for social, childcare workers

(The Center Square) – The Seattle Human Services Department is spending $498,278 for the University of Washington School of Social Work to analyze wages of the City of Seattle and King County’s human service workers.

The city hopes that the analysis will produce a report including recommendations for an updated pay structure for human services organizations within Seattle and King County.

“As the cost of living in our region continues to soar, it’s getting more challenging for human services workers to live in our communities and stay in human services jobs,” Michelle McDaniel, Co-Chair of the Rising Wages for Changing Lives campaign.

She added, “We must act to ensure human service workers and the difficult work they do is recognized through equitable wages.”

Members of the Seattle City Council staff, leaders from the local nonprofit community and wage equity analysts were selected by the Seattle Human Services Coalition to be a part of the rating committee.

That committee members ultimately chose to fund UW School of Social Work because they were “impressed with the University of Washington’s experience with comparable worth wage analysis, their work on public policy issues and the team they assembled [that includes] national and international leaders in research who can provide critical checks and balances in the study,” according to SHSD.

SHSD believes there is a consensus that human services workers in general are significantly underpaid.

“Their pay doesn’t reflect the education required, difficulty, or value of their work to build economic, emotional, physical, developmental and social well-being for all community members,” said Janice Deguchi, executive director of Neighborhood House.

SHSD had approximately $496,000 in general funds available for applicants to work on the comparable worth wage analysis.

Ultimately, UW was given over $3,000 more because the rating committee “recommended funding the University of Washington School of Social Work at the full amount available.”

The final report is due no later than Jan. 31, 2023 with a presentation to regional stakeholders that include funders and human services organizations.