Today, April 14, 2015, is National Equal Pay Day, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. This day is dedicated to promote awareness of the gap between men and women’s wages. It is meant to symbolize the progress women have made in catching up with men and the inequalities that still linger.
What should you know about National Equal Pay Day?
- Women nationally average between making 77% and 82% of what men make. The difference is even larger for women of color, who only make 64% of a white man’s earnings, and Hispanic or Latina women, who only make 54%.
- This means that women have to work approximately 60 extra days, or 3 months, to earn what men did the previous year. This would be even more for African American or Hispanic women.
- The income gap has narrowed from a 36 cent difference in 1980, so we have made progress. However, women are still more likely to work in lower-paying occupations and are about twice as likely to have been discriminated against at work because of their gender.
- The Paycheck Fairness Act, which would ban employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with each other, toughen penalties for pay discrimination, and reduce gender discrimination at work, is currently in Congress. Once again, many Republicans are trying to block it.
Source: Huffington Post
