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American Women Still Earning Less Than Their Male Counterparts
79 cents to the dollar seems like the general pay gap between working women and men in America. This number refers to the annual average wage earned by male and female full time workers. Internationally, the United States of America’s ranking is not a cause of celebration. Among developed countries America is at number 12 (out of 34 countries) in terms of the wage gap between male and female workers. What’s more, out of the 342 occupations recorded by the Census Bureau, women earn more than men in just nine different kinds of occupation. Some working women who are unhappy with the situation, or feel that the situation is completely unfair have been pressuring celebrities and politicians to address the issue. Some are backing a new bill that would require companies with more than one hundred workers to report how much salaries the employees are getting based on gender, race and ethnicity. Some simply contact an employment attorney.
Factors That Lead To The Pay Gap in America
There are many possible correct theories on why women tend to make less money than men. Many have pointed out that women earn less because they have to take some time off from work due to pregnancy and/or childcare. Taking a break from the working world also means that these women are foregoing earning work experience, which would also hurt their chances when they decide to jump back into the working world later on, when their children are older and more independent. This is because many employers usually do not wish to spend company’s time and money to train new workers. Another factor that could explain the pay gap is that many women also tend to work in lower paying job sectors, so of course naturally they would be making less money than their male counterparts. Finally, women have also been trained (brainwashed?) into being nice, sensitive, nurturing people. This has been done since women were just children themselves. This “sugar and spice and everything nice” attitude hurts women when it comes to asking for a raise. Women simply do not ask for a promotion or a raise. They might believe that asking would create no result due to boss’ indifference. Additionally, since women have been taught to be “nice”, many feel uncomfortable with what they see as “demanding” or “bossy” attitude. This might explain why women who ask for a raise have an abysmal success rate of just 19 percent. Conversely, men who decide to get a raise usually are successful in receiving what they want around one third (33) of the time.
Closing The Wage Gap
As more and more workers as well as employers become more aware of the wage gap, many are taking concrete steps to close the gap. Already some big name companies are closely analyzing how much and how their employees are paid. They are also promising to take certain actions to shrink the wage gap. Women who feel that they are being discriminated against in the workplace could also consult an experienced employment attorney for more support.
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