National Gender Wage Gap Widens in 2023 for the First Time in 20 Years, With Women Making 82.7 Cents on the Dollar Compared to Men, Down from 84 Cents in 2022
“The worsening gender wage gap is a national disgrace," says IWPR President and CEO Dr. Jamila K. Taylor.
New IWPR Analysis Reveals Economic Harm of State Abortion Bans
IWPR's latest report points to a clear correlation between abortion restrictions and economic underperformance, further highlighting that restrictions or total bans on abortion care not only jeopardize women’s health but actively harm state economies.
Understanding the Needs of Black Single Mothers in College
IWPR spoke with 25 Black single mothers as they strive for their college degree about the challenges they face and the programs that help them balance family with their academic careers.
As Apprenticeships Expand, Breaking Down Barriers to Women’s Economic Success
The apprenticeship route can offer an alternative to traditional college (and college debt), yet traditionally, women have been much less likely to be apprentices than men. Check out IWPR’s latest report analyzing whether the commitments to greater gender and racial equity in apprenticeship pathways are being realized and whether women and men are equally likely to achieve jobs with family-sustaining wages following apprenticeships.
IWPR is a “think tank with humanity,” and our mission is simple: win economic equity for all women and eliminate barriers to their full participation in society. Our Annual Report details how we strived to fulfill our mission in 2023 and provides a detailed picture of our mission and values, our impact, and how we do what we do.
Of the 42.3 million women of color, age 18 and older, in the United States, 41.5 percent (17,537,563) live in the South, 23.2 percent in the Pacific West, 16.3 percent in the Northeast, 9.8 percent in East North Central, 6.4 percent in the Mountain West, and 2.9 percent in West North Central.
With the large majority of U.S. mothers in the labor force and a steady decline in the real earnings of all workers over recent decades, families are increasingly relying on mothers’ earnings for economic stability. In the United States, half of all households with children under 18 have a breadwinner mother, who is either a single mother who heads a household, irrespective of earnings, or a married mother who provides at least 40 percent of the couple’s joint earnings.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) analysis of data from the American Community Survey finds that between 2004 and 2014, Black women’s real median annual earnings for full-time, year-round work declined by 5.0 percent—more than three times as much as women’s earnings overall.
Given the importance of higher education to a family’s economic security and their children’s future success, ensuring that student parents have access to affordable, quality care must be a priority for educational institutions, higher education advocates, and policymakers.
Over the last few decades, women’s increased labor force participation, education, and earnings have helped many women attain economic security. Yet, a substantial number of women in the United States face economic hardship.
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.
