Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and the Economy
IWPR’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, Gender and the Economy conducts original research and policy analysis using intersectional and racial equity frameworks to better understand the experiences of women of color, their families and communities in the economy and society.
The Unfinished Fight for Equal Pay: How Women Fared in 2024
November 21 was Native Women’s Equal Pay Day, marking the end of this year’s series of events highlighting the gender wage gap faced by women in various groups. Looking back at IWPR’s research on this critical issue, the data show that, almost across the board, wage gaps worsened for women, marking the first time the gender wage gap has widened significantly in 20 years. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women marked their Equal Pay Day on April 3. While AANHPI women had the lowest wage gap and the highest earnings of the racial/ethnic groups, they still [...]
Unequal Burden: Challenges Facing Black Women Social Workers
Social workers provide a myriad of services to individuals, families, and communities, including counseling and psychotherapy, social and health services, case management, advocacy, and other support and resources. Like most caring professions, social work is undervalued, resulting in social workers often earning low wages, experiencing poor working conditions, and incurring a high student debt burden due to the high costs of education. This research brief highlights the workplace challenges, barriers to licensure, financial difficulties, and high rates of burnout that Black women social workers experience. READ MORE
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 2023: No Matter What State They Live In, Black Women Make Less Than White Men
Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is a symbolic commemoration of a stark reality: no matter which state they live in, whether they work part- or full-time, or part-year or year-round, Black women make substantially less than White men . This year, Black Women's Equal Pay Day falls on July 27th. While Equal Pay Days used to be described as the day when women “caught up” to men’s earnings from the previous year, IWPR senior researcher Ariane Hegewisch explains, "Equal Pay Days do not mark the date of catching up because the reality is that most women never catch [...]
Black Women Earn Less Than White Men in Every State, Won’t Reach Pay Equity Until 2144
The COVID-19 pandemic and related recession both highlighted and exacerbated the persistent racial and gendered economic inequalities that Black women face in the labor market. Whether they worked full-time, part-time, year-round, or part-year, Black women were paid substantially less than White men. This brief shows that Black women face a substantial gap in earnings with White men in each state; data are the most recent available based on the 2017-2021 American Community Survey. Read More
