Trends in Employment and Earnings
Women’s status in the area of employment and earnings has improved on two indicators since the publication of IWPR’s last national report on the status of women, the 2004 Status of Women in the States, and remained unchanged or declined on two others. Women’s median annual earnings for full-time, year-round work in 2013 ($39,157) were nearly identical to their earnings for similar work in 2002 ($39,108 when adjusted to 2013 dollars). The gender earnings ratio improved during this time from 76.6 to 78.3 percent, narrowing the gender wage gap by 1.7 percentage points, and the share of women working in professional or managerial occupations grew from 33.2 to 39.9 percent. Women’s labor force participation rate, however, declined from 59.6 in 2002 to 57.0 percent in 2014.
A Good Week for Workplace Data Collection
Data collection is at the core of many efforts to enforce gender equity in the workplace. Federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 make sexual harassment and pay discrimination in the workplace illegal. However, gender-based discrimination persists, requiring state and federal agencies to develop policies to hold employers accountable for not protecting women workers.
Economic Progress Stalls for Women
Jobs data show substantially slowed growth since September. For the first time in the COVID-19 recession, women have gained fewer jobs than men.
Why Is the Wage Gap for Native Women So High?
We must do better for Native women by fighting for pay equity and domestic violence prevention and safety.
