Equitable Work and Wages

We believe that economic justice begins with fair compensation for all women, and we build evidence to support equal pay policies, livable
minimum wages, unions and labor rights, and better of job quality for women and their families.

Asian and Pacific Islander Women Earn Less than White Men in All but One State

In 2019, the median earnings of Asian American and Pacific Islander women for a year of full-time work were just 84.6 percent of White non-Hispanic men’s, and just 73.3 percent of the median annual earnings of Asian American and Pacific Islander men.2 While Asian American and Pacific Islander women had the highest median annual earnings for full-time year-round women of the largest racial and ethnic groups in the United States, $55,0003 compared to $47,299 for all women workers,4 this hides large differences in the labor market experiences for different groups of women.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Halie Mariano|2025-01-27T19:24:08-05:00March 8, 2021|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

The Weekly Gender Wage Gap by Race and Ethnicity: 2020

As lowest paid women lost most jobs, the gender wage gap for full-time workers shrank for all women and men, and by race & ethnicity. The gender wage gap in weekly earnings for full-time workers in the United States narrowed between 2019 and 2020, from 19.5 percent in 2019 (a gender earnings ratio of 81.5%) to 18.7 percent in 2020 (a gender earnings ratio of 82.3%)

By Ariane Hegewisch|2025-01-27T19:24:09-05:00March 4, 2021|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

On the Books, Off the Record: Examining the Effectiveness of Pay Secrecy Laws in the U.S.

The Equal Pay Act, passed over a half century ago, prohibits sex-based wage discrimination (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 2020). But the gender pay gap remains substantial: full-time, year-round women workers earn 18 percent less than their male counterparts (Hegewisch and Mariano 2020). A lack of knowledge about who makes what within organizations contributes to this continuing disparity.

By Shengwei Sun|2025-01-27T19:24:09-05:00February 9, 2021|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

Women and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Five Charts and a Table Tracking the 2020 “She-Cession” by Race and Gender

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for the U.S. economy, and women, particularly women of color, have been hit especially hard. 2020 ended with women’s numbers of jobs on payroll being still much further below their February levels than men’s.

By Ariane Hegewisch|2025-01-27T19:24:09-05:00January 28, 2021|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

Building a Better Future for Women in New Orleans Post COVID-19: Opportunities for Women in Skilled Trade and Technical Jobs

Women in New Orleans are particularly severely affected by COVID-19 related job losses because they are more likely than men to work in leisure and hospitality and tourism. Women are much less likely than men to work in construction, manufacturing, transportation, and Port-related jobs,

Women’s Share of Unemployment Insurance Claimants varies Strongly Across States

In 42 of 50 states and DC, women were the majority of unemployment insurance claimants. A third of all unemployed women, and four in ten Latinas, have been out of work for more than 26 weeks. The receipt of unemployment benefits, including those provided under the CARES Act, substantially reduces but do not eliminate the odds of hunger or foreclosure threats for women and their families.

By Ariane Hegewisch|2025-01-27T19:24:09-05:00December 3, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

Despite Modest Employment Gains, Women Still 5.5 Million Jobs Below Pre-Pandemic Level

New October jobs data show women gained 280,000 (43.9 percent) of 638,000 new non-farm payroll jobs since October.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Eve Mefferd|2025-01-27T19:24:10-05:00November 13, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

Latinas Projected to Reach Equal Pay in 2220

Latinas have made important strides in education, business creation, and political engagement. In recent decades, they have significantly increased their high school graduation rate and representation in teaching, law, medicine, and management professions. Yet in 2019, the average Latina earned only 55.4 percent of White non-Latino men’s earnings.

Women Fall Further Behind Men in Recovery and Are 5.8 Million Jobs Below Pre-COVID Employment Level

New jobs figures from September show much less job growth than in the previous month, particularly for women, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics latest Employment Situation release. Women’s official rates unemployment fell, while the number of women who are no longer actively looking for work increased.

By Ariane Hegewisch|2025-01-27T19:24:10-05:00October 6, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Notes: Estimates presented for All Women are based on [...]

By Valerie Lacarte and Jeff Hayes|2025-01-27T19:24:10-05:00September 28, 2020|Equitable Work and Wages|0 Comments