The United States Census bureau released new data on Tuesday that explains that the income gap between men and women has remained stagnant at $0.77 for every $1.00 that a man earns. The full report states, “The 2012 female-to-male earnings ratio was not statistically different from the 2011 ratio.” The report also found that more men have rebounded from unemployment than women. It has been fifty years since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed, and yet women are still paid less than men for almost every job available.
The Executive Director and CEO of the American Association of University Women, Linda D. Hallman, issued a statement saying, “We are disappointed by the Census Bureau’s latest economic snapshot showing that the gender wage gap remains stagnant. Unfortunately for women and their families, it’s the same old story — another year of no improvement. It’s clear that this problem is not going to fix itself — we need strategies to address it. Although we always hope for appropriate legislation from Congress, given the stalemate on Capitol Hill, we’re urging President Obama to do all he can through the executive branch to move the ball down the field.”
A common argument against this statistic is that men and women are taking different jobs with different salaries, so their incomes are bound to vary. The American Association of University Women report that one-third of the gap exists even after hours, occupation, college major, and employment sector are factored in.
The unexplainable one-third of the gap is being attributed to gender discrimination. Even though it is impossible to directly measure discrimination, there is experimental evidence that displays biases against women, especially when they are working in traditionally male occupations.
For collegiettes, it is important to understand that the data shows that one year after graduation, men and women who majored in the same field will be paid differently. Although men are more likely than women to work in higher-paying sector jobs, when women hold the same positions they are be paid less.
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