The gender and racial wage gap in the United States is a pressing issue that requires attention.According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women in full-time, year-round positions earn, onaverage, only 80.5 cents for every dollar earned by men in the same positions.
This discrepancy extends to racial wage gaps as well. For example, in 2020, Black womenearned 61.5 cents for every dollar earned by white men, while Hispanic and Latinx womenearned only 53.8 cents for every dollar. This wage gap is detrimental to individuals and familieswho are struggling to make ends meet and threatens the economic security of those who arealready vulnerable.
There is no single factor to blame for the wage gap. The wage gap is theresult of a multitude of factors, such as occupational segregation, workplace bias, and lack ofaccess to higher education. Occupational segregation plays a significant role in the wage gap.
Women and racial minorities are more likely to be underrepresented in higher-payingoccupations, such as engineering and finance, and more likely to be overrepresented in lower-paying service sectors, like retail and hospitality. This segregation has resulted in women andminorities having less bargaining power and limited access to higher-paying jobs.
BWWC
The Boston Women's Workforce Council is dedicated to closing the gender and racial wage gap by partnering with the City of Boston and Greater Boston employers. The BWWC created a wage gap calculator for organizations to examine their salary data and determine if a wage exists. Use the link below to see how your company is doing and benchmark any gaps.
