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An Investigation of the Historical Black Wage Premium in Nursing

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  • Nicole Coomer

Abstract

This paper builds off of prior work analyzing the historical wage premium paid to black registered nurses (RNs) (Coomer, Nurs Econ 31(5):254–259, 2013 ). The average observed wages of black RNs was higher than that of white RNs in the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) over more than two decades from 1984 to 2008. This study examines the wage differential between black and white nurses that remains after controlling for factors likely to affect wages in addition to race, such as experience, education, employer type, and specialty. The differential is decomposed, following Blinder ( 1973 ) and Oaxaca ( 1973 ), revealing a large unexplained portion. Four possible explanations are examined and support is found for self-selection, experience, shift work, and demand effects. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Nicole Coomer, 2015. "An Investigation of the Historical Black Wage Premium in Nursing," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 42(4), pages 323-335, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:blkpoe:v:42:y:2015:i:4:p:323-335
    DOI: 10.1007/s12114-015-9208-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Blau, Francine D & Beller, Andrea H, 1992. "Black-White Earnings over the 1970s and 1980s: Gender Differences in Trends," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(2), pages 276-286, May.
    2. Jonathan Fisher & Christina Houseworth, 2012. "The reverse wage gap among educated White and Black women," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(4), pages 449-470, December.
    3. Edward J. Schumacher, "undated". "Relative Wages and the Returns to Education in the Labor Market for Registered Nurses," Working Papers 9720, East Carolina University, Department of Economics.
    4. David Bjerk, 2007. "The Differing Nature of Black-White Wage Inequality Across Occupational Sectors," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 42(2).
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