Equitable Work and Wages

Women Lost More Jobs than Men in almost all Sectors of the Economy
Women Lost More Jobs than Men in almost all Sectors of the Economy

Women Lost More Jobs than Men in almost all Sectors of the Economy

Employment data released on Friday, April 3 show dramatic job losses and sharp rises in unemployment for both women and men since February. Altogether 701,000 jobs were lost, the majority (58.8 percent or 412,188) by women. While these estimates of job losses are already outdated – since their collection in the second week of March new applications for unemployment reached almost ten times that level–they point to the critical role of gender in understanding the impact of the COVID -19 crisis.

By Ariane Hegewisch|2025-01-27T19:24:13-05:00April 6, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation 2019
The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation 2019

The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation 2019

Women’s median earnings are lower than men’s in nearly all occupations, whether they work in occupations predominantly done by women, occupations predominantly done by men, or occupations with a more even mix of men and women. Data for both women’s and men’s median weekly earnings for full-time work are available for 125 occupations.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Zohal Barsi|2025-01-27T19:24:13-05:00March 24, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

The Gender Wage Gap: 2019 Earnings Differences by Race and Ethnicity
The Gender Wage Gap: 2019 Earnings Differences by Race and Ethnicity

The Gender Wage Gap: 2019 Earnings Differences by Race and Ethnicity

The gender wage gap in weekly earnings for full-time workers in the United States narrowed marginally between 2018 and 2019. In 2019, the ratio of women’s to men’s median weekly full-time earnings was 81.5 percent, an increase of 0.4 percent since 2018, when the ratio was 81.1 percent, leaving a wage gap of 18.5 percent, compared with 18.9 percent in 2018.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Zohal Barsi|2025-01-27T19:24:13-05:00March 10, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth
Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth

Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth

Women have made considerable progress in increasing their representation among business owners in recent years. The number of women-owned businesses increased in almost every industry between 2002 and 2012, at rates higher than those of men-owned businesses.

By Zohal Barsi and Jessica Milli|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00February 19, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality
Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality

Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality

In the United States, women spend considerably more time than men over their lifetime doing unpaid household and care work. The unequal distribution of this work—work that is essential for families and societies to thrive—not only limits women’s career choices and economic empowerment, but also affects their overall health and well-being.

By Jeff Hayes, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Tanima Ahmed|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00January 20, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Paid Family Leave Increases Mothers’ Labor Market Attachment
Paid Family Leave Increases Mothers’ Labor Market Attachment

Paid Family Leave Increases Mothers’ Labor Market Attachment

The United States is the only OECD country that does not guarantee a right to paid maternity leave. Evidence suggests that improving access to paid leave in the United States has health and economic benefits for families.

By Kelly Jones|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00January 3, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Geographic Mobility, Gender, and the Future of Work
Geographic Mobility, Gender, and the Future of Work

Geographic Mobility, Gender, and the Future of Work

Geographically, economic opportunity is unequally distributed across the United States. A disproportionate share of all private-sector jobs—one in five—are located in just four metropolitan areas: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle.

By Chandra Childers, Ariane Hegewisch, Tanima Ahmed and Amy Burnett Cross|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00December 19, 2019|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Gender Inequality, Work Hours, and the Future of Work
Gender Inequality, Work Hours, and the Future of Work

Gender Inequality, Work Hours, and the Future of Work

Gender differences in paid and unpaid time at work are an important aspect of gender inequality. Women tend to spend more time on unpaid household and family care work, and men spend more time in paid work. This unequal distribution of time creates barriers to women’s advancement at work and reduces women’s economic security.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Valerie Lacarte|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00November 14, 2019|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Growing the Numbers of Women in the Trades: Building Equity and Inclusion through Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
Growing the Numbers of Women in the Trades: Building Equity and Inclusion through Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

Growing the Numbers of Women in the Trades: Building Equity and Inclusion through Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

Greater access to apprenticeships in the skilled trades can help women achieve economic security and fill predicted skills shortages in construction. The construction trades provide good careers with family sustaining earnings.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Tanima Ahmed|2025-01-27T19:24:14-05:00November 14, 2019|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity
Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Source: IWPR analysis of data from P-38 Historical Income [...]

By Valerie Lacarte and Jeff Hayes|2025-01-27T19:24:15-05:00November 5, 2019|Equitable Work and Wages|Comments Off

Women Lost More Jobs than Men in almost all Sectors of the Economy

The Gender Wage Gap by Occupation 2019

The Gender Wage Gap: 2019 Earnings Differences by Race and Ethnicity

Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth

Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality

Paid Family Leave Increases Mothers’ Labor Market Attachment

Geographic Mobility, Gender, and the Future of Work

Gender Inequality, Work Hours, and the Future of Work

Growing the Numbers of Women in the Trades: Building Equity and Inclusion through Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

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