Since
the Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, the wage gap has
been closing at a very slow rate. In 1963, women who
worked full-time, year-round made 59 cents on average
for every dollar earned by men. In 2007, women earned 78 cents to men's dollar. That means that the wage gap
has narrowed by a less than half a cent per year!
Over the past 40 years, the real median
earnings of women have fallen short by an estimated
$700,000 to $2 million.
Economist Evelyn Murphy, president of The Wage Project, estimates that over a lifetime (47 years of full-time work) this gap amounts to a loss in wages for a woman of
- $700,000 for a high school graduate
- $1.2 million for a college graduate
- $2 million for a professional school graduate.
|
 |
| The
Wage Gap Over Time |
Year
Women's Men's Dollar
Percent
Earnings
Earnings Difference |
| 2007 $35,102 $45,113 $10,011 77.8% |
| 2006 $32,515 $42,261 $9,476 76.9% |
| 2005 $31,858 $41,386 $9,528 77.0% |
| 2004* $32,285 $42,160 $9,875 76.6% |
| 2003 $30,724
$40,668 $9,944
75.5% |
| 2002
$30,203 $39,429
$9,226 76.6% |
| 2001
$29,215 $38,275
$9,060 76.3% |
| 2000
$27,355 $37,339
$9,984 73.3%
|
| 1999
$27,208 $37,701
$10,493 72.2%
|
| 1998
$27,290
$37,296 $10,006 73.2%
|
| 1997
$26,720
$36,030 $9,310
74.2% |
| 1996
$25,919
$35,138 $9,219
73.8% |
| 1995
$25,260
$35,365 $10,105 71.4%
|
| 1994
$25,558 $35,513
$9,955
72.0% |
| 1993
$25,579 $35,765
$10,186 71.5%
|
| 1992
$25,791 $36,436
$10,645 70.8%
|
| 1991
$25,457 $36,440
$10,983 69.9%
|
| 1990
$25,451 $35,538
$10,087 71.6%
|
| 1989
$25,310 $36,855
$11,545 66.0%
|
| 1988
$24,774 $37,509
$12,735 66.0%
|
| 1987
$24,663 $37,389
$12,726
65.2% |
| 1986
$24,479 $38,088
$13,609 64.3%
|
| 1985
$23,978
$37,131 $13,153
64.6% |
| 1984
$23,453
$36,842 $13,389
63.7% |
| 1983
$22,961
$36,106 $13,055
63.6% |
| 1982
$22,367
$36,224 $13,857
61.7% |
| 1981
$21,830 $36,854
$15,024 59.2%
|
| 1980
$22,279
$37,033 $14,754
60.2% |
| 1979
$22,446
$37,622 $15,176
59.7% |
| 1978
$22,617
$38,051 $15,005
59.4% |
| 1977
$21,743
$36,901 $15,158
58.9% |
| 1976
$21,738
$36,114 $14,376 60.2%
|
| 1975
$21,297
$36,207 $14,910 58.8%
|
| 1974
$21,419
$36,456 $15,037
58.8% |
| 1973
$21,397
$37,381 $15,984
56.6% |
| 1972
$21,185
$36,614 $15,429
57.9% |
| 1971
$20,691
$34,771 $14,080
59.5% |
| 1970
$20,567
$34,642 $14,075
59.4% |
| 1969
$20,156 $34,241
$14,085 58.9%
|
| 1968
$18,836 $32,389
$13,553 58.2%
|
| 1967
$18,241
$31,568 $13,327
57.8% |
| 1966
$17,874 $31,055
$13,181 57.6%
|
| 1965
$17,852
$29,791 $11,939
59.9% |
| 1964
$17,368
$29,362 $11,994 59.1%
|
| 1963
$16,908
$28,684 $11,776 58.9%
|
| 1962
$16,587
$27,972 $11,385 59.3%
|
| 1961
$16,272 $27,463
$11,191 59.2%
|
| 1960
$16,144 $26,608
$10,464 60.7%
|
Note: Earnings
in current and 2000 CPI-U-RS adjusted dollars.
* 2004 data revised to reflect a correction to the weights in the 2005 ASEC.
Source:
Census Bureau reports and data, Current Population Reports, Median
Earning of Workers 15 Years Old and Over by Work
Experience and Sex.
Updated August 2008 |
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