Despite New Law, Gender Salary Gap Persists

[one...two...tree 2,762]

by Jennifer Ludden

The very first bill that President Obama signed into law dealt with equal pay for women, but activists say it's done little to close the ongoing difference between what men and women earn.

The law -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act -- may have extended the amount of time victims have to file discrimination cases, but it hasn't changed this fact: Women, on average, earn only 77 cents to a man's dollar, and the disparity is greater for women of color.

The Pay Gap, By Sex, Race And Ethnicity (Weekly Earnings)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008 annual averages)

Credit: Alyson Hurt/NPR

New legislation in Congress aims to close the pay equity gap, even as administration officials prepare to step up enforcement of the existing law.

Economists say part of the gap is because women are more likely to take time off work for child care, and an even bigger part is because of "occupational segregation": Women tend to work disproportionately in lower-paying fields. To be sure, many women's groups see this as a vestige of discrimination. (Another bill, the Fair Pay Act, seeks to address this, though that legislation is considered less likely to gain congressional passage.)

But even when you control for occupation and a host of other variables, economists still find an unexplained gender gap of anywhere from around a nickel to a dime or more on the dollar. Ilene Lang with the women's research group Catalyst recently studied MBA graduates.

"From their very first job after getting their MBA degree, women made less money than men," Lang says. "On average, they were paid $4,600 less."

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[mawilson 2,133]

It's the pregnancy risk premium. Men are paid better because they are a better investment -

there's no risk of losing them to pregnancy.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It's the pregnancy risk premium. Men are paid better because they are a better investment -

there's no risk of losing them to pregnancy.

And how do we explain the racial disparities? I'm looking at that graph and I think those Asian bastards need to be brought down a notch (or two).

[mawilson 2,133]

And how do we explain the racial disparities? I'm looking at that graph and I think those Asian bastards need to be brought down a notch (or two).

Hispanics and blacks get pregnant more often than white girls.

Asian bastards are all in IT which pays better than other sectors.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Asian bastards are all in IT which pays better than other sectors.

They should all get paid equal, regardless of what value they actually add. Eddy Bedwetter would have expected nothing less.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

Asian bastards are all in IT which pays better than other sectors.

In 15 years of IT I have only met one asian....

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

In 15 years of IT I have only met one asian....

Off the top of your head, name a few populous countries in Asia.

[mawilson 2,133]

In 15 years of IT I have only met one asian....

Your Filipina wife?

[PhiLandShiR 18]

Your Filipina wife?

Not counting her...

Only one asian in IT work.

Off the top of your head, name a few populous countries in Asia.

China, Japan... maybe Korea... so what??

the only asian I ever met working in IT was born here in the US....

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Not counting her...

Only one asian in IT work.

You either have had a very atypical IT career or you don't know that India is in Asia.

China, Japan... maybe Korea... so what??

So I was right.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

You either have had a very atypical IT career or you don't know that India is in Asia.

So I was right.

Right about what???

I have worked with only one asian man in my entire IT career...

[mawilson 2,133]

So I was right.

India is waaaay more populous than Japan or Korea.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

India is waaaay more populous than Japan or Korea.

It still doesn't get it.

[Ali G. 37]

A.J is probably just happy that whites are paid less, as he likes that sort of stuff.

[Ban Hammer 13,407]

And how do we explain the racial disparities? I'm looking at that graph and I think those Asian bastards need to be brought down a notch (or two).

someone didn't get that payraise at work, eh?