EMPLOYMENT - National Women's Law Center

t h e w a g e g a p o v e r t i m e • F A C T S HEET

EM PLOYME NT FAC T S H E E T

The Wage Gap Over Time October 2014

Women who work full time, year round in the United States are typically paid only 78 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. It has been more than 50 years since the passage of the Equal Pay Act and in that time we’ve seen women make huge strides forward in the labor force. Yet, more than 50 years later, the wage gap still persists. Since the passage of this landmark legislation, how much progress have women made? In 1963, a woman working full time, year round typically made just 59 cents for every dollar paid to her male counterpart. The wage gap was 41 cents. In 2013, the most recent year for which data are available, a woman working full time, year round typically made just 78 cents for every dollar paid to her male counterpart. The wage gap was 22 cents—just 19 cents smaller than when the Equal Pay Act became law. It has remained unchanged for nearly a decade.

The Wage Gap Over Time Ratio of Median Earnings of Full-Time, Year-Round Workers

100%

1963: Equal Pay Act

1973: Largest recorded wage gap

Change in the last decade

90% 80% 70% 60%

Women's/Men's Earnings Ratio Source: Census Bureau, Current Population Survey

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2010

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

50%

t h e w a g e g a p o v e r t i m e • F A C T S HEET

The Overall Wage Gap Over Time Year

Women's Earnings

Men's Earnings

Gap in Earnings

Women's/Men's Earnings Ratio

Wage Gap

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960

$39,157 $38,340 $38,444 $39,411 $39,399 $38,673 $39,436 $37,566 $38,014 $38,526 $38,914 $39,108 $38,440 $37,148 $36,791 $36,910 $36,139 $35,053 $34,145 $34,513 $34,523 $34,771 $34,282 $34,248 $34,045 $33,313 $33,172 $32,916 $32,257 $31,562 $30,931 $30,163 $29,494 $30,138 $30,355 $30,638 $30,176 $30,149 $29,541 $29,694 $29,688 $29,395 $28,686 $28,498 $27,958 $26,153 $25,307 $24,815 $24,755 $24,091 $23,461 $23,023 $22,591 $22,419

$50,033 $50,116 $49,924 $51,231 $51,181 $50,165 $50,684 $48,826 $49,383 $50,311 $51,509 $51,055 $50,361 $50,391 $50,876 $50,444 $48,730 $47,521 $47,803 $47,956 $48,270 $49,122 $49,073 $47,821 $49,575 $50,437 $50,895 $51,216 $49,952 $49,581 $48,639 $48,851 $49,791 $50,096 $50,878 $51,544 $51,213 $50,087 $50,225 $50,540 $52,421 $50,802 $48,207 $48,001 $46,214 $44,972 $43,796 $43,115 $41,311 $40,730 $39,801 $38,825 $38,128 $36,950

$10,876 $11,776 $11,480 $11,820 $11,782 $11,492 $11,248 $11,260 $11,369 $11,785 $12,595 $11,947 $11,921 $13,243 $14,085 $13,534 $12,591 $12,468 $13,658 $13,443 $13,747 $14,351 $14,791 $13,573 $15,530 $17,124 $17,723 $18,300 $17,695 $18,019 $17,708 $18,688 $20,297 $19,958 $20,523 $20,906 $21,037 $19,938 $20,684 $20,846 $22,733 $21,407 $19,521 $19,503 $18,256 $18,819 $18,489 $18,300 $16,556 $16,639 $16,340 $15,802 $15,537 $14,531

78.3% 76.5% 77.0% 76.9% 77.0% 77.1% 77.8% 76.9% 77.0% 76.6% 75.5% 76.6% 76.3% 73.7% 72.3% 73.2% 74.2% 73.8% 71.4% 72.0% 71.5% 70.8% 69.9% 71.6% 68.7% 66.0% 65.2% 64.3% 64.6% 63.7% 63.6% 61.7% 59.2% 60.2% 59.7% 59.4% 58.9% 60.2% 58.8% 58.8% 56.6% 57.9% 59.5% 59.4% 60.5% 58.2% 57.8% 57.6% 59.9% 59.1% 58.9% 59.3% 59.3% 60.7%

21.7% 23.5% 23.0% 23.1% 23.0% 22.9% 22.2% 23.1% 23.0% 23.4% 24.5% 23.4% 23.7% 26.3% 27.7% 26.8% 25.8% 26.2% 28.6% 28.0% 28.5% 29.2% 30.1% 28.4% 31.3% 34.0% 34.8% 35.7% 35.4% 36.3% 36.4% 38.3% 40.8% 39.8% 40.3% 40.6% 41.1% 39.8% 41.2% 41.2% 43.4% 42.1% 40.5% 40.6% 39.5% 41.8% 42.2% 42.4% 40.1% 40.9% 41.1% 40.7% 40.7% 39.3%

Source: National Women’s Law Center calculations based on U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Historical Data, Table P-38: Full-Time, Year-Round Workers by Median Earnings and Sex, available at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/people/. Median earnings are in 2013 dollars. Figures may differ from those in other NWLC reports due to rounding. 11 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036 | 202.588.5180 Fax 202.588.5185 | www.nwlc.org