New analysis of Census Bureau data shows largest wage gap in Utah, lowest in District of Columbia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 19, 2023 – In case you missed it, the National Partnership for Women & Families released updated state-by-state analysis of the pay gap women workers face. According to Census Bureau data released last week, overall women workers were typically paid just 78 cents for every dollar paid to a man – adding up to a difference of $11,450 over the course of the year. The National Partnership found that while the gender wage gap varies, it hits every corner of the country – the wage gap is highest in Utah where women are paid just 40 cents for every dollar paid to men.

Last week, the National Partnership also released analysis on the state of the wage gap for women of color, particularly.

• Latina women workers are paid 52 cents for every dollar white, non-Hispanic men workers are.
• Native American women are typically paid just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women are typically paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to a white, non-Hispanic man.
• Black women workers are paid 66 cents for every dollar white, non-Hispanic men workers are.
• Compared to White women workers, who are paid 74 cents for every dollar white, non-Hispanic men workers are.

“While the wage gap didn’t change substantially for Black (66 cents) or Latina women (52 cents) last year, it’s important to note that median earnings decreased over 2 percent for all workers, and almost 9 percent post-tax after adjusting for inflation,” said Anwesha Majumder, Economist at the National Partnership for Women and Families. “This means the people who are least likely able to afford additional economic tightness, namely Black, Native American, and Latina women, are the ones who have been most squeezed by the huge rise in inflation and the expiration of our COVID-era social safety net, including the Child Tax Credit.”

The gender pay gap cost women $1.6 trillion in 2022, and it persists regardless of industry. Gender and race discrimination directly and indirectly play a large role in the wage gap. Occupational segregation, including the overrepresentation of women in low wage work, and the lack of workplace policies to support workers’ family, caregiving needs and health needs are additional factors contributing to the country’s pay gap. When women are the leaders of their families and breadwinners for their households – as half of mothers in the U.S. are – families that depend on these paychecks struggle more to provide necessities and to save and invest over time.

# # #

Media Contact:

Miriam Cash
Email
202-986-2600