Economic Security, Mobility and Equity (ESME)
Whether paid or unpaid, women’s work is crucial for their families’ economic security and well-being. Greater gender equality in paid and unpaid work will reduce poverty and improve economic growth and prosperity; persistent inequity in employment and family work is costing all of us. Women are held back by the undervaluation of historically female work, workplaces designed as if workers had no family responsibilities, and a broken-down work-family infrastructure.
IWPR’s ESME program highlights the extent of pay inequalities, and the role played by stark occupational segregation in perpetuating unequal pay. We conduct research and analysis on women’s labor force participation and employment trends; workforce development, non-traditional employment, and apprenticeships; the impact of sex discrimination and harassment on women’s career advancement and mobility; the gender pay gap and pay inequity across race and ethnicity; work-family policies and employer practices; the and the impact of automation and technological advances on women workers.
We work with policymakers, employers, advocates, and practitioners to identify promising practices and policy solutions.
The Facts Are Clear: Unions Help Women Close the Pay Gap
You wake up; brush your teeth; get dressed. Maybe you make breakfast and send your kids off to school. You get into a car, or a bus, or a train, and commute to work. You spend the day building, or writing, or creating, or filing, [...]
The Future of the Expanded Child Tax Credit: Holding on to Hope
Expanding the Child Tax Credit was a historic policy moment and a hopeful national experiment on how recurring payments to families with children can impact economic security. How might we build on this to secure a brighter future for women and families?
The Pandemic Effect: Women Want Good Pay, Health Coverage, and Better Benefits as They Re-Enter Workforce
A new national survey by IWPR finds solid pay, health insurance, job security, retirement benefits, and paid leave top the list of considerations for women as they re-enter the workforce.
Gender Wage Gaps Remain Wide in Year Two of the Pandemic
In 2021, women earned just 83.1 percent of what men earned, based on IWPR’s analysis of median weekly earnings for full-time workers.
Equal Pay Policies and the Gender Wage Gap: A Compilation of Recent Research
This brief compiles recent research on the impact of equal pay laws and policies on the gender wage gap.
For Young Mothers during COVID, Employment Does Not Equal Security
A large proportion of young mothers—especially young Black and single mothers—remain economically insecure despite high levels of employment.
