Equal Pay Day symbolizes how women & minorities are "in the red"

Wear RED on Equal Pay Day to symbolize how far women and minorities are "in the red" with their pay!

By Karen K Needham

Recognize Equal Pay Day on March 12 to symbolize how far women are “in the red” with their paychecks. This is the point into the new year that a woman must work to earn the wages paid to a man in the previous year. The current state of the gender pay gap: is 84% for full-time workers and 78% for all workers (including part-time and seasonal). The average woman who works full time is paid on average just 84 percent of the typical man’s pay.

While the gender pay gap has been shrinking over the last decade, it only decreased by 0.7% between 2022 and 2023. On average, men earned $63,960, which is nearly $10,000 more per year than their female counterparts who earned $53,404.

In Rhode Island:

• Current Gender Pay Gap: On average, women in Rhode Island earn 15% less than men. Rhode Island ranking with other states: (29 out of 50)
• Average Male Salary: $60,513
• Average Female Salary: $48,444
• Effective January 1, 2023, the Rhode Island Equal Pay Law prohibits wage discrimination based on a protected class (race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin) and prohibits wage history inquiries by employers and barring of wage discussions among employees.

Further information:

· As of January 29, 2024, the Biden Administration announced its final rule banning salary history for the federal workforce.

· Pay Equity Act Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, September 2021

Rhode Island’s New Pay Equity Law: The Key Provisions that All Employers Must Know (rihospitality.org)

• Congress should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to address the gender pay gap. Women who are paid less than men must discuss the problem with their employers. If discrimination persists, file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Sources:

• The Simple Truth about the Pay Gap (aauw.org)
• https://www.aauw.org/fairpay/
• Facts Over Time | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
• Rhode Island Amends Pay Equity Law (natlawreview.com)
• https://www.equalpaytoday.org/equal-pay-day
• Congress.gov | Library of Congress
• Home | The Senate Democratic Caucus

Tables:

· Median annual U.S wage by gender 2014 – 2023

· Gender Pay Gap by State 2022