Women’s Economic Status in the States: Wide Disparities by Race, Ethnicity, and Region

Women’s earnings, the female/male earnings ratio, the occupation and industries in which women work, women’s business ownership, and women’s poverty are all important aspects of women’s economic status. Although women have made gains in all these areas in past decades, they still earn less, are less likely to own a business, and are more likely to live in poverty than men across the states. With median annual earnings of $30,100, women in the United States still earn only 76.2 percent of what men earn (Chart 1). Among working women, 33.2 percent work in professional and managerial positions. About a quarter (26.0 percent) of businesses are owned by women, and 87.9 percent of women live above poverty.