Gender Wage Gap: Unequal Pay in the Workplace

What You Need to Know About the Gender Wage Gap

Since the 20th century, women’s participation in virtually all aspects of life has grown exponentially. In the modern-day, women have obtained undergraduate and professional degrees at impressive rates and have an increased opportunity at upward mobility. Despite this progress, significant wage gaps still exist between men and women. This gap is even wider when comparing men to women of color. Here is what you need to know about the gender wage gap.

The gender wage gap refers to the significant difference in income between men and women. According to the 2018 Census Bureau data, women of all races make .82 for every $1 a man makes. However, most of the time the gender wage gap is more than just a few cents and can impact the earnings of a woman in a drastic way.

What Causes the Gender Wage Gap?

The U.S. Census calculates income for men and women holistically, not looking at men and women who do identical jobs. Calculations are intentionally computed this way, as experts are better able to evaluate the factors contributing to the wage gap.

Differences in industries or jobs

Men and women tend to seek careers and opportunities that align with gender roles and expectations. Female-dominated fields, such as home health aides and child-care workers tend to not make as much as careers in male-dominated fields, such as construction or trade jobs. These differences are true across all industries and at all levels.

Difference in the years of experience

Due to persisting gender norms in modern society, women are more likely than men to take years of working to accommodate child care. This leads to drastic differences in work experience, which can prevent women from getting higher-level or higher-paying jobs.

Difference in hours worked

Women tend to work fewer hours than men to accommodate child-care and other unpaid obligations. They are also more likely to work part-time than men, which leads to less income and fewer benefits.

Discrimination

Although gender-based pay has been illegal since 1963, it is still a widespread and frequent practice, especially for women of color. Discrimination in pay is more likely to happen in workplaces that discourage discussions regarding wages and where workplace retaliation is common. Employers may discriminate in pay when they rely on prior salary history in hiring and compensation decisions, which can enable discriminatory pay decisions to follow women from job-to-job.

There are factors that have helped narrow the wage gap between men’s and women’s earnings. Today, women are more likely to pursue higher education in comparison to past generations. When women obtain higher education compared to their male counterparts, they are more likely to be offered the same or more pay. Unionization can also help narrow the wage gap because workers collectively often have greater leverage to push for workplace changes and combat discrimination.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one has any more questions about the gender wage gap, get your free consultation with one of our California Employment Discrimination Attorneys today! We’re here to stand with you against unequal pay in the workplace.