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 Business Case for Childcare
Nearly one in 10 people in the world are younger than five, but in many parts of the world, affordable and quality child care and early childhood education are hard to find. Since caring for children is still mainly seen as women’s responsibility, the lack [...]
Tackling Childcare:The Business Case for Employer-Supported Childcare
Almost one in 10 of the world’s population, 679 million, are children younger than five years old. To thrive and develop, these children and their older siblings need care.
Access to Paid Sick Time in Austin, Texas
This briefing paper presents estimates of access to paid sick time in Austin by sex, race and ethnicity, sector of employment, occupation, part/full-time employment status, and earnings levels through analyses of government data sources, including the 2013–2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS).
Paid Family Leave—Vital Benefits at an Affordable Cost
Paid family and medical leave programs benefit workers, families, employers, and society—but at what cost? IWPR and IMPAQ International recently evaluated existing paid leave programs in three states, as well as the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMILY) Act as it has been introduced in both houses of Congress. Using data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Census Bureau, the study determined that family leave could be offered nationwide at modest cost.
The Economic Impact of Equal Pay by State
Persistent earnings inequality for working women translates into lower lifetime pay for women, less income for families, and higher rates of poverty across the United States. In each state in the country, women experience lower earnings and higher poverty rates than men.
Paid Sick Days: Significant Benefits, Low Costs
Unlike most nations in the industrialized world, the United States does not guarantee that workers receive paid sick leave. Some employees are eligible for unpaid time off to care for their own or a close family member’s “serious health condition” under the Family and Medical Leave [...]
