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Scholars examine regulatory approaches to achieving pay equity.
At the current rate of progression, it will take women decades—until 2054 or later—to reach pay equity with men. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that women in the United States were paid, on average, 82 percent of what men were paid. This represents only a slight improvement from 2020, when women earned 81 percent of earnings made by men.
The current gender wage gap contributes to significant losses in earnings for women. In 2021, the average woman earned approximately $12,000 less than the average man.
Pay disparities are even larger for women of color, with Black women being paid only 64 percent of what men are paid and Hispanic women being paid only 57 percent.
The Women’s Bureau of the Labor Department and the U.S. Census Bureau determined that the wage gap cannot be wholly explained through measurable differences between workers, including education level, age, marital status, or hours of work. They say it is “highly likely” that “at least some of this unmeasured portion is the result of discrimination.”
At the federal level, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. More specifically, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 prevents wage discrimination by requiring that employees receive equal pay for equal work, while the National Labor Relations Act outlaws pay secrecy policies that would prohibit...
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