Economic Security, Mobility and Equity (ESME)2023-05-24T14:05:34-05:00

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.

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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Paid Sick Days in Massachusetts Would Lower Health Care Costs by Reducing Unnecessary Emergency Department Visits

This fact sheet reports findings from research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) on how increased access to paid sick days would improve both access to health care and health outcomes in Massachusetts.

By |May 21, 2012|

Gender Segregation in Fields of Study at Community Colleges and Implications for Future Earnings

DOWNLOAD REPORT Postsecondary education yields myriad benefits, including increased earnings potential, higher lifetime wages, and access to quality jobs. But postsecondary degrees are not all equalin the benefits they bring to students and women tend to obtain degrees in fields with lower earnings. [...]

By |May 1, 2012|

Watch: Martha Burk discusses equal pay initiative in New Mexico

https://youtu.be/qhl7tvs7zJg Martha Burk (Director, Corporate Accountability Project, National Council of Women's Organizations, and former Senior Policy Adviser for Women's Issues to Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico) discusses her initiative to achieve equal pay in New Mexico's contract compliance program, which is the only program [...]

By |May 11, 2011|

Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave in the United States

The United States is among a very small number of countries in the world without a statutory right to paid maternity leave for employees. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s (IWPR) analysis of Working Mother magazine’s “100 Best Companies” finds that almost all of the top companies provide some paid maternity leave and, between 2006 and 2010, these employers dramatically expanded coverage for paternity and adoptive parent leave.

By |May 4, 2011|
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