A new study by the Center for American Progress says Louisiana has the widest male-female wage gap in the country, with women earning 67.2 cents for every dollar earned by a comparable male employee. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, paints a different picture, says The Pelican Institute for Public Policy. That data shows women working at least 35 hours per week year-round earn 77.1% of what the typical American man makes. When the comparison is restricted to those working 40 hours a week or more, the wage gap narrows to 87%. The Pelican Institute says people often assume that the gender gap measures how much a woman is paid for doing the same job as a man. However, the figure is based on a broader view of employment, aggregating all workers, regardless of job title. Right off the bat, this skews the statistics, the institute says, as men, on average, work in higher-paying fields. Read more on the study at The Pelican Institute’s website here.
Today’s poll question: Do you think women are earning less than men for doing the same job at your workplace?
