The Gender Payage Gap

Even though there is an Elimination Act of all forms of discrimination against women in 1979 the United States still continue to bridge a gap in wages. When you look at the wage gap you can clearly see the difference in gender and it is much worse for people of color. The wage gap is not just a gender issue it also affects racial minorities. Asian American women experience the smallest gender pay gap. The Hispanic and Latina women had the largest gap with 54 percent of what the white men were paid in 2013. The gender pay gap for American Indian and Alaska Native women has went down to 60 and 59 percent in 2013. As for African American women they are paid 64 percent of what white men were paid in 2013 and white women were paid 78 percent of what white men were paid ( Catherine, H). Over the years the wage gap is in fact improving but only by a small percentage. In 2012 the wage gap was 77% and in 2013 the

The gender wage gap in America is a social problem that has existed since women entered the workforce. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, for every dollar earned by a man, a woman made 78.3 cents in 2013 (Leon-Guerrero, 2016). Data from 1983 to 1998 and concluded that women workers in their prime earning years make 38% of what men make. During the 15-year period, an average prime-age working woman earned only $273,592 compared with $722,693 earned by the average working man in 1999 (Leon-Guerrero, 2016). The wage gap affects women of color in a more profound way that it does non-hispanic white women. Hispanic women are making 53%, African American women are making 64%, and Asian American women are making 87% of white men’s earnings each year (AAUW, 2013).

As long as an American woman is putting in the same amount of hours with the same qualifications and experience in the same occupation as an American male, and yet taking home a wage that is any lower, she is not being treated fairly as an equal. Contrary to many arguments, it’s undeniable that a wage gap exists, and while there are various ideas as to the most probable cause, there is no reason why this gap should continue to go uncorrected or unchanged. Our government should take concrete steps to close the gender wage gap because it violates women’s rights and equality.

After years of Civil Rights Movements and Pay Equity Acts, as of 2014, women still only make 79 cents to a man 's every dollar. Although the wage gap has shrunk since the 1970’s, progress has recently stalled and chances of it vanishing on its own is unlikely. The gains that American women have made towards labor market experience and skills is tremendous. In fact, women account for 47% of labor workforce and 49.3% of American jobs. But despite of women’s strides, a gender pay gap still exists. Experts suggest that it will take 100 years to close the gap at the rate employers and legislators are working to create solutions. But by allowing women to work in higher paying positions and by proposing and updating pay equity laws, the gender gap can finally be diminished.

By the time the Equal Pay Act became a federal law in 1963, women throughout America were only making an average of 59 cents to every dollar that men earned (The Pay Gap, the Glass Ceiling). When the Equal Pay Act was enforced, Congress was focusing on the wages gap that was present for men and women who were working the same job. Therefore, women were supposed to receive “equal pay for equal work” (California Closes the Gap, par. 3) relative to the men they worked alongside with. Many companies within the private sector took advantage of the wording of this Act, citing that women were not doing “equal work” to the men, so they did not justifiably deserve “equal pay”. This is how even now, 50 years later, “persistence of a twenty percent gender pay gap” (ABA Journal, par. 1) makes it so that on a national average women are still making less than men. However, while cultural bias is one of the contributing factors, it is only

economy has changed enormously. They are increasingly holding positions in management, and we are lead to believe the pay gap between men and women are now balanced. In 1963, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act creating it a law that makes different pay wages illegal due to gender based work quality. In the 1960’s women in the United States earned an average of 59 cents for the dollar men made in equal positions. (Gender, Web). Today almost half of the workforce consist of women and are the main source of income in four out of ten households. A review of the year 2013 shows that female full-time workers only received 78 cents to the dollar earned by men (Pay,

No matter your gender, profession or where you live, you are affected by the gender pay gap. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. (NYC Gender, 1). According to the report prepared by the Joint Economic Committee in April 2016, “The ratio of women’s to men’s median earnings – known as the “gender earnings ratio” is approximately 79 percent. That leaves a difference in earnings of 21 percent (or 21 cents on the dollar). This means that the typical woman earns less than $4 for every $5 earned by the typical man.” (Gender Pay, 2). The Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal to pay a woman less that what a man would receive for the job. (Civil Rights, 1). However, we live in a world where women are still discriminated against and often paid less than men for performing the same job. As more and more women are taking on the role of “breadwinner”, the gender pay gap is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately.

America prides itself on equality but no one is truly equal until men and women are not treated the same way and given equal pay for the same work. Unequal pay is a major social injustice that has recently been spreading across the nation. Women have come a long way in American society, they now have the right to vote and are bread winners for many households, but they still have a long way to go. The wage gap in USA as of 2016 is that a woman makes 80 cents to a man’s dollar. This kind of discrimination is extremely prevalent in today’s society and there is no conscious effort being put forward to close the wage gap. It is predicted that the wage gap will be closing in the year 2152, but to get results now and have this discrimination end

The gender pay gap is not just a US issue, it is a concern worldwide. A United Nations report from April of 2015 found that women were paid a quarter less than men globally, and called for all governments to take action to narrow the gap. The White House Council of Economic Advisers recently called the gender pay gap a “stubborn troubling fact” despite women’s gains over the

The wage gap in the workforce is one of the main ways women are marginalized in society. Women are paid significantly less than men, even when working in the same profession. In 2014, women ages 25-34 made 90% of what men did in the same profession, and ages 35-44 only made 81%. In 2015, the men’s median wage was $51,212 and women’s was $40,742

Although the Equal Pay Act was put into place, women still are not paid as much as men. On average, women are paid 79 cents for every dollar men are paid. This is even worse for women of minorities. Black women are paid 63 cents for every dollar men are paid, and Hispanic women are paid 54 cents for every dollar men are paid (Hoover). This is surprising, especially because research says women affect roughly 80% of customers' purchases positively (Reich and McCulloch). Women are doing the same work and the same amount of work as men, but are not getting paid as much. For example, "Female financial specialists make 66% of what males do. Doctors make 71%, and lawyers and judges make 87%," (Hardwick). Females working the same job as males are being paid fractions of what the men are paid. Instead of society bettering itself, it has taken steps back because of this discrimination.

Women have faced gender wage discrimination for decades. The gender pay gap is the difference between what a male and a female earns. It happens when a man and a woman standing next to each other doing the same job for the same number of hours get paid different salaries. On average, full-time working- women earn just “77 cents for every dollar a man earn.” When you compare a woman and a man doing the same job, “the pay gap narrows to 81 percent (81%)” (Rosin). Fifty-one years ago, in order to stop the gender gap discrimination, Congress enacted the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The act states that all women should receive “equal pay for equal work”. Unfortunately, even in 2014 the gender pay gap persists and even

Gender inequality is a prominent factor within society. Gender inequality consists of violence against women, as well as the inequality within health care, education, and the workplace (such as the pay gap, and positions women hold within the workplace). As society currently progresses towards equality with movements such as Feminism (the belief which women deserve equal opportunities and treatment as men receive), refutes only increase as positions of power are challenged. Achieving gender equality within the United States alone would be extremely beneficial for women. “In 2010, American women on average earned 81 percent of what their male counterparts earned” (Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force). The pay gap is an increasingly

There are many origins to the issue of workplace inequality. Across the world, women are getting paid less and less. The gender wage gap now stands at an average of 22 cents between genders. It is common knowledge that women were often not allowed to work in the past, and if they did they didn’t have the best jobs. With women increasing their education and work experience, it shouldn’t still be an issue. On average, a woman who goes to the same college, gets the same job, and has the same amount of know-how a man does, will get paid 78 cents for every dollar made by the male counterparts.

All across America, women are making less than men for the same job, and the gap is even wider for minorities. The difference ranges based on the race and other specifics of the woman, such as her age. On average, women earn 77 percent of what men make. However, for minorities the difference is much wider. African American women make 64 cents per dollar and Hispanic women make 52 cents per dollar (Simon). Playing a large part in the wage gap, employers often pay women less whether it is for purely sexist reasons or the temptation of profits from lower wages. Employers may also take advantage of the choices women make as they often have different priorities than male workers. Affecting over half of the population of the United States, this issue is important and needs to reach a resolution. Throughout the United States, women are paid less for their work, whether it be because of women’s personal choices, overcrowding of “women’s jobs”, discriminating employers, or age differences, and the gap must be narrowed until wages are equal.