Reducing the gender pay gap has stalled in the 21st century. The gap between men’s and women’s earnings has decreased by less than a nickel since 2000.
There’s more bad news: Female-dominated industries – such as leisure, hospitality, education, even parts of health care – have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Women also make up a larger percentage of employees in social work, teaching, library and training, office and administrative support, and personal care and services. Jobs which are largely face-to-face are particularly vulnerable to layoffs or reduced hours because of the dangers of the coronavirus.
The consequences of the coronavirus also remind us that women are more likely than men to take time off work or even quit their jobs in order to care for children — no longer in school full-time — or other vulnerable family members. The report “Valuing Women’s Caregiving” points out the nation’s systemic failures in supporting women’s work and caregiving in general and in particular during their increased responsibilities as a consequence of the pandemic.
Important Numbers
American women, on average, are paid only 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man, according to a report from the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
The pay gap is worse for women of color. Black women make 62 cents on the dollar.
The pay gap is largest for Hispanic women, who make 55 cents on the dollar.
Women working full time in South Carolina are paid 78 cents on the dollar. If S.C. women were paid the same as comparable men, their poverty rate would drop by half.
The pay gap increases with age. After 35, women typically earn 75-85 percent of what men are paid.
The pay gap increases over the course of a woman’s career and is widest for women ages 55-64. This likely reflects the long-term effects of direct and indirect discrimination, which compound over time.
Women face an income gap in retirement. Because they have earned less, they receive less in Social Security benefits. They also lag behind in pension benefits and all other sources of retirement income.
When U.S. women’s total earnings are compared to men’s, their total estimated loss over a career (defined as 47 years), is $700,000 for high-school graduates, $1.2 million for college graduates, and $2 million for professional school graduates, according to AAUW estimates.
Wage inequality is a family issue. Some 64 percent of households with children include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family.
The Unexplainable
An unexplainable 7 percent difference exists between the earnings of male and female college graduates one year after graduation, according to the AAUW’s “Graduating to a Pay Gap” report. That’s true even after accounting for factors such as college major, occupation, industry, sector, hours worked, workplace flexibility, experience, educational attainment, enrollment status, GPA, college selectivity, age, race/ethnicity, region, marital status and motherhood
The Future Is Grim
At the current rate of progress, the pay gap will not close until 2093.