Neighborhood House supports equitable pay for human service workers. Our executive director is proud to serve as the co-chair of the Raising Wages for Changing Lives campaign that helped advocate for a comparable worth analysis of the Seattle and King County human services sector.
The study, funded by the city of Seattle Human Services Department and conducted by the University of Washington School of Social Work, found that human services workers are paid on average 30% less than workers in non-care industries in addition to being paid less than workers in other sectors whose tasks are rated as comparable.
At Neighborhood House, we provide essential services and help connect those who need it most to housing, health, education, and economic opportunity. Our staff and those at other human services providers need wages that are worthy of the work they do.
Learn more about the movement below, including how to get involved, news coverage, and resources from partner organizations.
Take action
- Sign on for wage equity!
- Contact your elected officials
- Donate to local human services organizations
Articles
- Invest in human services workforce to strengthen families, communities (Seattle Times)
- New UW Study says human services workers are underpaid by 37% (Crosscut)
- Human service wages are even worse than you imagined (Publicola)
- New UW report shows Seattle social service workers are severely underpaid (Real Change)
- HSD funds University of Washington proposal to conduct comparable worth wage analysis (City of Seattle)
- Social service workers receive long overdue raises in city budget (Real Change)
- Labor shortage or living wage shortage? (Seattle Times)
Resources
- City of Seattle Public Safety & Human Services Committee presentation
- Seattle Human Services Coalition
- YDEKC Thriving Leaders Forum on Pay Equity
- Putting People First: King County Wage and Benefits Survey
“Human services are just as essential to a thriving community as firefighters and construction
Janice Deguchi and Michelle McDaniel, co-chairs of Raising Wages for Changing Lives
workers, but they’re paid less than half what other essential workers are paid. As leaders of
human services agencies, we see our staff teach, counsel, connect, and build strong elping
relationships with everyone in our communities. From parenting programs and youth
development, crisis intervention services, and supports to age in place — human service workers
provide critical human infrastructure.”