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 wages, unions and labor rights, and better job quality for women and their families.

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.
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 Tables, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements. <http://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/income-poverty/historical-income-people.html> (accessed November 4, 2019). Notes: Estimates presented for All Women are based on the earnings ratio for full-time, year-round workers between all [...]
Pregnancy and Maternity Leave in the Trades: Good Practices for Apprentices
DOWNLOAD REPORT The physically strenuous work means that often it is not safe for pregnant women to work to the end of their pregnancy. While under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act it is illegal for employers to fire someone because she is pregnant, or [...]
Valuing Good Health in Massachusetts: The Costs and Benefits of Earned Sick Days
Policymakers across the country are increasingly interested in ensuring that workers can earn paid time off to use when they are sick. In addition to concerns about workers’ ability to respond to their own health needs, there is growing recognition that, with so many dual-earner and single-parent families, family members’ health needs also sometimes require workers to take time off from their jobs. Allowing workers with contagious illnesses to avoid unnecessary contact with co-workers and customers has important public health benefits.





