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.
Retail Occupations: Few Signs of Employment Decline but Increasing Precarity
One in eleven U.S. workers work in retail jobs, close to 13 million workers in 2014-16. Occupations in the retail sector include Retail Salespersons, Cashiers, and Stock Clerks and Order Fillers, but also Advertising Agents, Telemarketers, and Models and Product Promoters.
Still a Man’s Labor Market: The Slowly Narrowing Gender Wage Gap
The commonly used figure to describe the gender wage ratio—that a woman earns 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man—understates the pay inequality problem by leaving many women workers out of the picture. This report argues that a multi-year analysis provides a more comprehensive picture of the gender wage gap and presents a more accurate measure of the income women actually bring home to support themselves and their families.
Women Only Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: Meeting Skills Needs and Creating Pathways to Good Jobs for Women
The average salary for someone who completed an apprenticeship is $60,000 per year. The average salary of an electrician (the most common apprenticeship) on completion of an apprenticeship is $23 per hour; for a 40-hour week this translates to $920, substantially higher than the median weekly earnings for a worker with an Associate degree (of $836 in 2017).
Basic Economic Security in the United States: How Much Income Do Working Adults Need in Each State?
To experience economic security, working adults must have enough income to meet their basic monthly expenses and save for emergencies and retirement. The Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index provides a measure of how much income working adults of different family types need to be economically secure in each state.
