Why Do Women Still Earn Less?

Where’s The Money?

 For years women have worked from home and done what was expected of them. We took care of the children and made sure the house was clean and a home-cooked meal was on the table when our husbands returned. Now roles have changed a bit. Today more women go to college, pursue family life later and go to work and more men stay at home and take care of the children. Both people may also work and evenly split the household chores and parenting. You would think that everything was even now, right?

 Unfortunately some things have not changed. Since women entered the workforce, they have made less than men. The gender wage gap has been making headlines for more than 50 years. According to a study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women still earn only 82 cents for every dollar a man makes in the same position. The figure is even less for women of color, with African American women earing 70 cents and Hispanic women earning 58 cents to each dollar a man makes. This study may not take into account the number of hours each works per week or experience, but if everything is level why is the pay lower for women? If both candidates have college degrees and have the same number of years’ experience, they should be paid the same.  

Reasons for Lower Pay

 One reason there is a discrepancy is negotiating techniques. Simply put studies find that women do not negotiate as much as men when it comes to salary offers. Some women may take the position and not question the pay. In this economy most of us are just grateful to have a job offer and accept the pay even if it is lower than anticipated. One way to get more is to do your research. Look at the average salary of the position on websites such as Salary.com. If you know how much you should be making based on your education and experience you can negotiate for more. Don’t be afraid to speak up because you are worried about seeming aggressive or pushy. That is sometimes the best way to get what you deserve. By the time you are at salary offers and gotten through the interview(s), you know that they want to hire you so go for it!

 Another reason women make less is because of a presumed lack of flexibility if we become mothers. Some employers assume that at some point the women workers will leave for maternity leave of permanently once they have a baby. They assume you don’t need more money because after a while you may decide to work part time of want a more flexible schedule to have more family time. Why should women get paid less because one day we might have children? We should not be penalized for wanting to have children if we want to or because they think we will not be able to work more hours like our male counterparts. If anything women should be paid more since we have the added responsibility of working 40 hour weeks and have to come home and take care of children.

How can things change?

 Despite the years long wage gap, there is hope. Women can do some things to help make the gap closer or disappear completely. First, do not be afraid to negotiate when you hear the salary offer. What they offer first may not be the final offer. Next, look up how much the position pays based on your education and experience level and see if you are getting shortchanged. You can always ask for a raise later or move on to another company that will value you. It is long overdue that women receive equal pay as men for doing the same job. Little by little we can chip away at that glass ceiling until it is finally gone!

Bibliography

Leith, Lawrence H. (2014, June). Why do Women Still Earn Less than Men: Monthly Labor Review[U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics], retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/beyond-bls/why-do-women-still-earn-less-than-men.htm