Economic Security, Mobility and Equity (ESME)Administrator2023-05-24T14:05:34-05:00

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.

Wage Gap Sept 2023
New Data: Women Still Make 84 Cents for Every Dollar a Man Makes, Won't Reach Pay Equity Until 2053

Pay inequities remain a key challenge for women in the workforce. New data shows how little progress is being made and how far we still have to go.

Moms EPD 2023
In 2021, Working Moms Made Just 62 Cents on the Dollar Compared to Working Fathers

August 15 was Mom's Equal Pay Day and IWPR's research shows that mothers were paid less than fathers in every single state and the District of Columbia in 2021.

Black Womens EPD 2023
July 27 was Black Women's Equal Pay Day and IWPR Research Shows Black Women Earn Less than White Men in Every State

Black women earned 64 cents for every dollar earned by White men in 2022 and won't reach pay equity until 2144, according to data released by IWPR for Black women’s Equal Pay Day.

Gender Wage Gap by Occupation March 2023
Women Earn Less Than Men Whether They Work in the Same or in Different Occupations

In 2022, women earned less than men for full-time weekly work in almost all occupations, includ- ing in 19 of the largest 20 occupations for women, and in all of the largest 20 occupations for men. Teaching Assistants (median weekly earnings of $662) is the only occupation with no gender difference in median weekly earnings for women and men working full-time.

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Testimony before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee of the Whole regarding Bill 21-415, Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015

Testimony before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee of the Whole regarding Bill 21-415, Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015, presented on January 14, 2016.

By Heidi Hartmann and Jeff Hayes|January 14, 2016|

Women and Men Share Stronger Job Gains in December—Women’s Unemployment Rate Is at 4.8 Percent; Men’s at 5.2 Percent

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of the January employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that women gained 141,000 jobs and men gained 151,000 for a total of 292,000 jobs added in December.

By Jeff Hayes|January 8, 2016|

The Union Advantage for Women

This briefing paper presents an analysis of women’s union membership and the union wage and benefit advantage for women by state and by race/ethnicity. It is based on an analysis of the Current Population Survey. Wage and benefit data are for all workers covered by a union contract, irrespective of their membership in a union.

By Julie Anderson, Ariane Hegewisch and Jeff Hayes|August 12, 2015|

Women in the Construction Trades: Earnings, Workplace Discrimination, and the Promise of Green Jobs

Based on the 2013 IWPR Tradeswomen Survey, an exploratory study of women working in construction trades, this report provides insights to working conditions for women in the construction industry, examines their earnings and employment experiences since the end of the Great Recession, and analyzes women’s motivations for pursuing green training and its impact on their employment.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Brigid O’Farrell|April 13, 2015|
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