W a l - M a r t v. D u k e s : N e w H u r d l e s f o r W o m e n Em p l o y e e s
• FA C T S H EET
EM PLOY ME NT
FAC T S H E E T
The Wage Gap is Stagnant in Last Decade
September 2012
The typical American woman who works full time, year round is paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to
her male counterpart. This gap in earnings translates into $11,084 less per year in median earnings, leaving women and their families shortchanged. The wage gap is even more substantial when race
and gender are considered together, with African-American women making only 64 cents, and Hispanic
women only 55 cents, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. Although enforcement of the
Equal Pay Act, as well as other civil rights laws, has helped to narrow the wage gap over time, it is
critical for women and their families that the significant pay disparities that remain are addressed.
TheWage
WageGap's
Gap'sLost
LostDecade
Decade
The
RatioofofMedian
MedianEarnings
EarningsofofFull-Time,
Full-Time,Year-Round
Year-RoundWorkers
Workers
Ratio
100%
100%
90%
90%
80%
80%
77%
77%
76%
76%
77% 77%
77%
77% 77%
77% 78%78%77% 77%77% 77%
77%
77% 77%
70%
70%
60%
60%
50%
50%
2002 2003 2004
2009 2009
2010 2010
2011
2002
2004 2005
2005 2006
20062007
200720082008
Women's/Men'sEarnings
EarningsRatio
Ratio
Women's/Men's
Source:
CensusBureau,
Bureau,Bureau,
CurrentPopulation
Population
Survey Survey
Source:
Census
Current
Survey
Source: Census
Current
Population
www.nwlc.org
The Gender Wage Gap Persists
• In 2011, the typical woman in the United States working full time, year round was paid only 77 cents
for every dollar paid to the typical man working full
time, year round.
• The wage gap has stagnated, remaining at 77 cents
per dollar, for almost a decade.
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W a l - M a r t v. D u k e s : N e w H u r d l e s f o r W o m e n Em p l o y e e s
• The wage gap is even more substantial for AfricanAmerican and Hispanic women. In 2011, the typical African-American woman working full time,
year round was paid only 64 cents and the typical
Hispanic woman only 55 cents, for every dollar paid
to the typical white, non-Hispanic man who worked
full time, year round. This translates into a loss of
$18,817 for African-American women and $23,298 for
Hispanic women every year. Closing the wage gap is,
therefore, particularly important for African-American
and Hispanic women, who are already likely to have
lower incomes and to be in poverty than many other
groups.
• The wage gap persists at all levels of education. In
2011, the typical woman in the United States with a
high school diploma working full time, year round
• FA C T S H EET
was paid only 74 cents for every dollar paid to her
male counterpart. Among people with a bachelor’s degrees, the figure was also 74 cents. In
fact, the typical woman who has received an associate’s degree still isn’t paid as much as the typical man who only graduated from high school.
• A typical woman who worked full time, year round
would lose $443,360 in a 40-year period due to the
wage gap. A woman would have to work almost twelve years longer to make up this gap. A
typical woman working full time, year round who
starts, but does not finish, high school would lose
$372,400 over a 40-year period, an enormous
amount of money for women who are typically
paid $21,113 a year. A woman would have to work
over seventeen years longer to make up this gap.
Wage Gap as Compared to White, non-Hispanic
Men's Earnings, 2011
White, nonHispanic Men
77%
75%
64%
White, nonHispanic
Women
AfricanAmerican
Men
AfricanAmerican
Women
61%
Hispanic
Men
55%
Hispanic
Women
Source: Current Population Survey, 2011 Annual Social and Economic Supplement
Source: Current Population Survey, 2012 Annual Social and Economic Supplement
www.nwlc.org
Source note: National Women’s Law Center calculations based on the Current Population Survey available at: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/. Career
wage gaps assume a constant gap and are not adjusted for inflation. Gaps for educational attainment are for individuals 25 and older, other gaps are for people 15
and older.
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