Economic Security, Mobility and Equity (ESME)Administrator2023-09-30T21:30:05-05:00

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 2024
Moms Equal Pay Day - August 7, 2024
State by State, Mothers Are Still Paid Much Less than Fathers

Moms' Equal Pay Day 2024 shows that mothers across the country are still earning less than fathers. Nationally, in 2022, employed mothers were paid just 62.5 cents per dollar paid to fathers.

previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow

Paid Sick Days Access and Usage Rates Vary by Race/Ethnicity, Occupation, and Earnings

Utilizing data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this briefing paper estimates the proportion of public and private sector workers ages 18 and older with access to paid sick days, and their use of paid sick days, by race and ethnicity, immigration status, occupation, earnings, job level (supervisor/nonsupervisory status), and other demographic and occupational characteristics.

By Jenny Xia, Jeff Hayes, Barbara Gault and Hailey Nguyen|February 17, 2016|

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|