According to a report released today by the National Partnership for Women & Families:
On average, Oregon women employed full time, year round are paid just 82 cents for every dollar paid to men – a yearly pay gap of $8,393. That means, in total, women in Oregon lose more than $4 billion every year, which is money that could strengthen the state economy and the financial security of Oregon’s women and families, including the more than 164,000 Oregon households headed by women. These are some of the findings of a new analysis conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families and released for Equal Pay Day tomorrow.
Fuuuuuuckkkkkkkkk. Oh hey, it gets worse:
These findings include that, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in Oregon, African American women, Latinas and Asian women who work full time, year round are paid 70 cents, 51 cents and 75 cents, respectively.
Nationally, women earn 79 cents on average for every dollar earned by a white, non-Hispanic man. The numbers are even worse for African American and Latina women.
The National Partnership for Women & Families is using these numbers to tout the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act. Their press release also advocates for basic, progressive economic policies—like paid sick days, paid family leave, an increased minimum wage—that benefit working women.
It’s worth noting that these are all initiatives both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have built into their platforms on expanding women’s rights. Meanwhile, according to the Slot’s report on pay equity and gender within each of the primary election campaigns, it’s a slightly different story: While both campaigns compensate male and female staffers relatively equitably on average, none of Sanders’ highest-paid staffers are women. Of Clinton’s highest-paid staffers, 40 percent are women. That jibes with an overall trend: The Clinton campaign is the only one that doesn’t employ a majority of men.
And if you’re wondering what campaign paid women the most? Weirdly, it was (RIP) Marco Rubio’s.
While it’s still bad, there’s a slight difference between “pay inequality” and “career inequality”. When we talk about women’s pay on average, are we accounting for the relative lack of women in CxO positions, or are we saying that a female CIO is making less than a male CIO? It sounds like the former, which is more a problem of sexism in career paths rather than pay disparity.
Also, regarding money “lost” — this money isn’t lost, it’s simply going somewhere else. If you adjusted the pay gap you’re not suddenly creating more money, you’re moving it from somewhere else: lowering male salaries, reducing profits, cutting spending on growth, etc. Saying that we’ll “strengthen the state economy” simply by eliminating the pay gap is a pretty huge stretch.
The pay gap is bad and should be fixed, but I think the arguments presented here are hinky.
It’s true. I work much, much , much ,much,,, much less than my female colleagues and get paid exactly the fucking same. Sure they’re more respected, but…
Freakonomics Radio had an episode regarding the so-called “Gender Pay Gap” and how it isn’t as easily explained as regurgitating “Women earn less than men, we’re oppressed!” There are many factors why a woman might earn a little less than men, with one of the main ones being the “parent/caregiver tax.” Look it up, it makes sense. But! California just passed a law where employers must pay more to people who take time off to pop out as many babies as they want. Overpopulation be damned!
I would love it if the people who regurgitate this 77 or 82 cents to ever dollar “fact” would have specifics. Like, who are these companies and why are they paying their male/female employees differently? Let’s weed these companies out! That is, if they even exist…
The gender pay gap argument is to liberals what the illegal immigrant argument is the right-wing nut bags… they never look at the actual perceived problem; they merely want to be victims.
*I imagine this comment won’t be posted or if so, will eventually be deleted. The “new” Mercury does not like a difference of opinion.