User:Plantl0v3r/Gender pay gap

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The reasons link to social, legal, and economic factors, thus extending beyond "equal pay for equal work". The social factors include topics such as discrimination based on gender, the motherhood penalty vs. fatherhood bonus, parental leave, and gender norms. Additionally, the consequences of the gender pay gap surpass individual grievances, leading to reduced economic output, lower pensions for women, and fewer learning opportunities. The aforementioned causes and consequences of the gender pay gap will be further discussed in the duration of this page.

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Historical perspective

In 1963, women made only 59 cents per every dollar that their male counterpart earned. Fast forward to 2016, and a woman working at a full-time position would still only make 79 cents per every dollar that a man earns. Although there has been a notable increase in earnings for women's earnings compared to that of men, these projections show that the U.S. will not achieve pay equity till the year 2059, studies show.

Industry sector

A 2022 research study, conducted by Folbre et al., illustrates how the concentration of women in care occupations contributes significantly to the gender pay gap. Their findings show that, while both women and men are affected by the care services wage penalties, women in these occupations face greater tribulations considering they are more likely to be employed in care services. In Jacobs (1995), Boyd et al. refer to the horizontal division of labor as "high-tech" (predominantly men) versus "high-touch" (predominantly women) with high tech being more financially rewarding. Men are more likely to be in relatively high-paying, dangerous industries such as mining, construction, or manufacturing and to be represented by a union. Women, in contrast, are more likely to be in clerical jobs and to work in the service industry, such as nursing, education, and social sciences.

Discrimination

Women experience the gender pay gap differently than one another, as do their wages. Women will earn more or less than another woman because of their race and/or ethnicity. According to the Joint Economic Committee, women of color are at a greater disadvantage than white women because they are more likely to hold jobs that "offer fewer hours and more likely to work part time involuntarily." However, "women of every racial and ethnic group earn less than men of the same group." It is also important to note that women of a certain race are more similar in numbers than across races. For example, a Black woman earns around 90% of what a Black man does, yet a Black woman only makes 68% of what a white man does.

Causes (Originally titled "Reasons")

Parenthood and the Motherhood Penalty (Originally titled "Motherhood")

Studies have shown that an increasing share of the gender pay gap over time is due to parenthood. The phenomenon of lower wages due to childbearing has been termed the motherhood penalty. In short, the motherhood penalty depicts the greater disadvantage mothers face as far as earning less wages than a childless woman. According to a study conducted by the Joint Economic Committee, in 2014 mothers were shown to earn 3% less than childless women and 15% less than childless men. Although it is true that the gender pay gap has narrowed, this phenomenon is essentially only significant for childless men and women. Further, studies have shown that the motherhood penalty has been unwavering, rather than declining like the gender pay gap.

Consequences

Women's Pensions

Considering women make less than men overall, they are also less likely to be eligible to participate in pension plans. This is because pensions plans are generally calculated based on one's salary per year. Further, this would require women to be employed in jobs that offer retirement plans, which they are less likely to be a part of than men. The European Commission argues that the pay gap has significant effects on pensions. Since women's lifetime earnings are on average 17.5% (as of 2008) lower than men's, they have lower pensions. As a result, elderly women are more likely to face poverty: 22% of women aged 65 and over are at risk of poverty compared to 16% of men.

Education and Debt (Originally titled "For Learning")

Policy Measures

There are many factors that go in to what comprises the gender pay gap, one of the most significant is the lack of family-friendly workplace policies in the U.S.

Awareness Campaigns