Candice Thompson
InMotion Staff Writer
Twenty one percent. That’s the average wage gap between men and women in today’s era. In a career where a man is making $50 thousand, a woman in that same profession can expect to make a mere $39,500.
It seems “We the People” have forgotten all about Kennedy’s Equal Pay Act. In 1963, when the law was enacted, the wage gap between men and women was between 59-76 percent of a man’s wage for the same job in the same facility.
Unfortunately, few jobs are safe from gender pay inequality but they do exist. According to the New York Times, some of the worst careers supporting the gender wage gap are financial specialists, podiatrists, dentists and surgeons ranging from 66-71 percent. Lawyers, judges, detectives, nurses and computer engineers get closer with 82-89 percent. Pharmacists and chemists are closing the gap with 90 percent men to women.
Dental hygienists, HR Specialists and advertising sales get a round of applause for evolving into the 21st century with 100 percent equal pay and zero percent gender wage discrimination.
So which states have the best and worst rap for gender wage discrimination? Louisiana comes in last place with a meager 65 cents per dollar. Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia and North Dakota round out the top five worst list with a range of 67-71 cents.
The states that seem to be working towards equal pay are Florida, Nevada and Maryland, tied at 85 cents; Hawaii and New York with 86-87 cents; and Washington paving the way at 90 cents per dollar.
Some believe women get paid less than men because women typically take more time off for children, whether it’s maternity leave, field trips, picking up sick kids from school or parent-teacher meetings. The reason why most women do that is because they tend to make a lesser wage.
Others believe closing the gap is as easy as asking. Over 50 percent of men ask for more money compared to less than 13 percent of women willing to speak up.
The best way to close the gender pay gap is exposure! Instead of making wage discussion against company policy as well as a terminable offense, making earnings transparent will assist in closing the separation.