Women Still Make 82 Cents On The Dollar Compared To Men, Study Finds

Topline

Working women over the age of 16 made 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2022, according to a study from Pew Research Center, released Wednesday—a rate that hasn’t meaningfully changed since 2002.

Key Facts

The pay gap has only narrowed 2 cents since 2002, when women made 80 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to Pew.

In 1982, women earned just 65 cents for every dollar earned by men, and over the following 20 years, that rate jumped 15 cents.

Women tend to earn less than men as they age: Women who were between the ages of 25 and 34 years old in 2010 made 92% of the median hourly earnings of men their same age, but in 2022, these same women who were now between the ages of 37 and 46 years old made just 84%, following a similar trend from women who were in these age groups starting in 2005 and 2000.

In 2022, women ages 25 to 34 earned 92% of the median hourly earnings of men, compared to those ages 35 to 44 and those 45 to 54, who made 83%, and women 55 to 64, who made 79%.

Last year, white women earned 83% of the median hourly earnings of men, as Asian women earned 93%, Black women earned 70% and Hispanic women earned 65%.

Pew used data from the U.S. Census Bureau for its findings.

Key Background

There are several causes behind the gender pay gap, according to the Center for American Progress. Jobs that have historically been relegated to women, or are female-dominated fields, tend to offer lower pay than those which have historically been dominated by men. Women are also forced out of the workplace due to caregiving responsibilities much more than men are, and therefore often have less experience than their male counterparts. Because of these caregiving responsibilities, women also tend to work less hours than men do. And while gender-based pay discrimination has been illegal nationwide since 1963, it also plays a major role in women’s salaries, compared to men. In 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that women make up an estimated 44% of the workforce, but 41% of managers.

Big Number

Nearly $1.6 trillion. That’s how much money working women in the U.S. lose every year because of the pay gap, the National Partnership for Women and Families reported in 2022.

Tangent

The U.S. will mark Equal Pay Day on March 14, a day that signifies how long into the year women must work to earn what men did the previous year. It has been dedicated since 1996.

Further Reading

Salary Transparency Could Help Speed The End Of The Gender Pay Gap (Forbes)